The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-24

flowing stream. The turbine converts
melted snow into heat and light, which
can be distributed owe a constantly
widening area. I think we have now
| arrived at hat point in scientific
achievement which justif1es the belief
that the wheels of industry will not
! cease, nor our houses go unlighted OF
unheated,r sc long as dams may be
built upon our streams. Water will be,
indeed already is, the greatest con-
servator of coal. We must seek to
make use of u coal, the fullest 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 nc more
to the operator than will make his
work sufficiently attractive to keep
him at it. In short, we desire COM
petition without waste, a frank impos-
sibilitY.
"Other countries have wrestled with
their problem. Some nave o. into
government operation. But those who
are nearest to us in institutions and
tendencies have found that in a new
country where there must be large
development and higher rewards for
enterprise, the safest practicable
methods is to lease the land, the gov
eminent taking g. modest royalty and
retaining some measure Of control
owe operation"
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 government
reSerVing necessary supplies.
AS to oil he says: W. should, I be-
lieve, stimulate the search for oil and
protect the prospector. l feel that we
are not sufficiently rewarding the pio-
neer. A plan could readily be evolved
by which ANYONE wishing to prospect
for oil on the public lands could OBJ
tain a license from the government ex-
clustVely to prospect a large tract of
land for a period Of time-perhaps two
years-and in the event that oil is
found in commercial quantities the
government should be paid a royalty
fixed in advance.
The United States will need oil for
Its navy as well as coal, and probably
In increasing quantities as the modern
o~il-burning or ~gas-burning engines are
recognized. 1t would be economical TO
substitute oil for coal for many rea
sons: to reduce labor cost, to avoid the
building and maintenance of GOLFERS,
and the purchase and support of coal
ing stations. England's adventure in
this direction will presumably force
| OlnSr nations into IKE enterprise, ana
yet England has no oil fields on which
to. draw. while we have already the
largest producing fuel oil fields in the
world, and others are appearing. Under
highest expediency that the govern
ment make such offers as will induce
the proving Of our lands, and of these
proved lands retain sufficient to make
our ships independent of the world
n 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 "homesteader," aft
er getting patent to the land, promptly
sells it for $4,000 or $40, 600 to some
lumber company, without making an
effort to comply with the spirit of the
law. Thus, the government loses the
timber and the land and does not gain
a real home maker. Such homesteaders
add nothing to the wealth of the ma
ton. The law should punish them, in
fact, as frauds. There is a remedy for
this condition of things, and 1t lies in
the selling of the land and the timber
separately
Much attention is devoted in the re-
port to consideration of the reclama-
ton of arid lands. Discussion of the
subject is replete with interest to the
farmers who locate on the various pro-
5ects' Secretary Lane suggests that
they be given a longer time than ten
years in which to a for their lands,
because they are genuine pioneers in
a new field of work, on the success OF
which depends greatly rescuing of a
vast territory. OF these reclamation
projects, Secretary Lane says:
The west can use probably and
wisely 500, 000, 600 in the next ten years
to the advantage of the whole country.
! If the government will place upon a
leasing basis these western resources
with which We have been dealing, it
can have an increased fund for the con
tinuance of this work and an Increased
assurance of the return of its advan-
ces." ~
In conclusion. Secretary Lane directs
attention to the enormous details, an
important, which the Interior depart
ment administers, including care of the
Indians n Eskimos, administration
of national parks, payment of pensions.
supervision of public lands, territories
and many other important works