Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-12-25
HAS BROAD POLICY
OF CONSERVATION
Secretary Lane Outlines 1t with
Bold Strokes in His An
nual Report.


pervision.
Comparatively, the report ishrief. II IKE
wise, is wholly unique in that 1t contains
not a single recommendation. Suggestions
for action. which Secretary Lane observes
rmphatically is what tho country desires
and needs, are numerous; but he prefers
to propose general policies to the making
VI fiat recommendations.
Two notable and Interesting predictions
are indicated rather than made in the
report. one Is that the time IL not far
distant when coal of too low a grade ITO
stand storage or transportation VIII be
converted into electricity at the mouth of
the mines and widely distributed for light
Ing, heat and power; the other, that tho
gigantic force now wasting itself In the
rivers of the country will he so controlled
by dams as to provide heat, light and
power to the people and that within
generation | believe the people Will be
as alive to the value Of public ownership
OF hydro-electric power plants as they
are to-day to municipality owned water
works"
In the opening lines Of the report,
Secretary Lane takes up n serious sit
uation which obtains in a great sec
ton Of the country. There exists a
feeling in the West says he, that
its affairs ana needs have not been
given that consideration at the hands
of the national government which
they merit. This feeling is not con
fined to spectators or exploiters. 1t
is the sentiment of many who are
without selfish motive and regard the
ma boI ho
national growth
DEVELOPER SHUT OUT.
There is one very simple explana-
ton for the existence Of this feeling
We have adventured upon a new pol
icy Of administering our affairs and
have not developed adequate machin-
cry We have called halt on meth
DDS of spoliation which existed. to the
great benefit of many. but we have
failed to substitute methods, sane,
healthful and progressive, by which
the normal enterprise Of an ambitious
people can make full use of their
own resources. We abruptly closed
opportunities to the monopolst, but
dld not open them to the Developer"
The land policy put into force, he
{.
The Congress had been most generous
In Its disposition of the public lands.
They were given to the railroads and
to the States. To classify them was
too difficult q task. They would
classify themselves when they ar
rived in individual ownership. AMI
so the door was opened for monopoly
and for fraud"
If the government did not appreciate
the invaluable nature of its assets there
were men who did. The nation wanted
home makers, but found its lands drift
Ing into the hands of corporations, which
We're withdrawing them from the mar
kct. reaction was inevitable. If lands
We're to be withdrawn from public serv-
ice why might not the government do
the withdrawing itself?"
a new policy was evolved. the secre-
larry pointed out, that of using the land
for the purpose to which it is best fitted
ITO this policy" he SAYS. Il believe the
West is now reconciled. The West no
longer urges return to the hazards of
the land is land policy. But 1t does
ask action Already the Congress has
recognized the appositeness of this
policy, but it is for yourself and Con-
s'''' ''' '''ei ~ eN''i'u 'nis 'housh' IN
u O"' 'oS'''"''oi''
ALASKA y TREASURE LAND
The largest boo If unused and
neglected land in the United States Is
Alaska" In the 46 years Intervening
since its purchase, we have given It
little more than the most casual con-
Germ, yet its mines, fisheries and furs
alone have added to our wealth the
grand sum OF $5O0,0000oO For almost n
eeneration it was the rich harvest field
of a single company. Individual fortunes
have been made in that country larger
than the price paid to Russia for the
whole territory. 1t has been estimated
that there are 5000 OOO acres of this land
that will make homes for a people as
sturdy as those of New England Whether
this is so or not, it would appear that
Alaska can he made self-sus tanning agii-
culturally
This vast and unsurpassed asset
lice ol,,,os, ,,aa,.o,onad tarr,,or,
one fifth the size of the United States
contains less than a thousand miles
of anything that can be called a wag-
on road"
This unfortunate condition." in Sec
rotary Lanes Judgment is not due to
the inhospitality of the Alaska eli
mate" because some of southeastern
Alaska has a climate more temperate
and more equable than that of tho
city of Washington. while much OF
the greater portion of the north has
a kindlier climate than Stockholm or