Bisbee daily review., 1913-12-24

retary Lane. ''It is certainly not for the public interest" tnei report says. that our coal deposiu shaii he opened rapidly and ruthlessly. I can not feel, however, that we should sac rifce any present need for fuel CT willingly surrender ourselves to a de- mand for exorbitant prices because of fear that some day the coal supply may be exhausted. Already there has been developed a substitute for coal in the flowing stream. The turbine converts melted snow into heat and light. which can be distrihuted oyer a constantly widening area. think we have now arrived at that point in scientific achievement which iustifies the belief that the wheels of industry will not cease. nor our houses go un- lighted CT unheated, so long as dams may be built upon our streams. Wa ter will be, indeed already is, the greatest conservator of coal We must seek to make use of our coal, the full est use that society requires. This principle seems a truism. But here lies the difficulty. We wish cheap coal and at the same time a minimum of waste. We wish society to take the lions share of the profit and yield no more to the operator than will make his work sufficiently attractive to keep him at it. In short, we desire competition without waste, frank impossibility
 Similar suggestions are offered as to the development of petroleum, phos- phate and potash. Secretary Lanes idea is that such deposits ought to be developed under the leasing system, as in the case Of coal, the Govern ment reserying necessary supplies.
 As to oil he says: we should. I be- lieve. stimulate the search for oil and protect the prospector. I feel that we are not sufficiently rewarding the p!o- iee-. A plan could readily be evolved by which anyone wishing 10 prospect for oil on the public lands could ob- tain license from the Government exclusively to prospect large tract of land for period of time-perhaps two years-and in the event that oil is found in commcrcial quantities the Government should be paid a royalty | fixed in advance.
 The United States will need oil for ! it's navy as well as coal, and probably tn increasing quantities as the mol | ern oil-burning or gas burning ,en- zines are recognized. It would be eco. | Romicai to substitute oil for coal for many reasons; to reduce labor cost, ' to avoid the buildings and mainte- nance of coIliers. and the purchase and support of coaiing stations. Eng lands adventure in this direction will ! presumably force other nations into | like enterprise, and yet England has no oil helds on which to draw, while
 We have already the largest produc- ing oil iields in the world, and others are appearing. Under these conditions it would seem of the highest expedi- ency that the Government make such
 cffers as will induce the proving of
 our lands, and of these proved lands
 retain sufficient to make our ships in
 dependent of the world and as fully
 competent as their rivals"
 ! Secretary Lane expresses frankly
 his dissatisfaction with the operation
 of the homestead law as to the timber
 lands He says the 'homcsteader, '
 after getting patent to the land,
 promptly sells 1t for s1O,0GO or S29,. . OO0tC some lumber company. without
 making an effort to comply with the Eg.s Ig
 ment loses the timber and the land
 and does not gain a real home maker.
 Such homesteaders add nothing to
 the wealth of the nation. The law should punish them, in fact, as frauds. There is a remedy for this condition
 of things, and it lies in the selling of the land and the timber separately" Much attention is devoted in the report 10 consideration of the recla- nation Of arid lands Discussion Of
 the subject is replete with interest to the farmers who locate on the yariru4 ilo5ects. Sec,etarv I.aao s.c' :. gests ;1G: they be gwen d longer time than ten years in which to pay for
 for their lands, because they are
 genuine pioneers in a new field of
 work, on the success of which de-
 bends greatly rescuing Of a vast ter
 ritory. Of these reclamation projects,
 Secretary Lane says:
 The West can use profitsbly and
 wisely s103. 3.00O.O .OOO in the next Q
 years to the advantage Of the whole
 country. II tine Government will place
 upon a leasing basis these western
 resources with which we have been
 dealing, it can nave an increased fund
 for the continuance cf this work aGd
 an increased assurance of the return
 of its advaTtces.'
 mnuINn pIcruRE MEN ORGANIZE