Arizona republican., 1913-12-24
Head of Interior Depart ment Plans Utilization of Vast Natural Resources and Points to Results Through Development
DOCUMENT LACKS
 RECOMMENDATIONS
Much Attention is Devoted to Consideration of Recla- nation of Arid Lands and Suggests Longer Time i'll Which to Pay for Them
rAssnrrArEn PRESS r1sPATCH1

rASSnrTATEn PRESS pTSPATCHl
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.-With bold strokes Franklin K. Lane. secretary of the interior, today outlined, in his an nuaI report to the president, broad policy in the conservation of the vast natural resources of the United States which yet lie within the regulatory powers of the government and pointed to the important results that may be achieved through the development of these resources under proper super vision.
 Comparatively, the report is brief. It. likewise, is wholly unique in that it contains not a single recommendation Suggestions for action, which Secretary Lane observes emphaticaIly is what the country desires and needs, are numer- Ous; but he prefers to propose general policies to the making of flat recOm- mendations.
 Two notable and interesting predic- tions are indicated rather than made in the report One is that the time is not far distant when coal of two low grade ito stand storage or transpOr- tatiOn will be converted into electricity at the mouth of the mines and widely distributed for lighting, heat and pow err; the other, that the gigantic force now wasting itself in the rivers of the country will be so controlled by dams as to provide heat, light and power to the people and that within a generation I believe the people will be as alive to the value of public ownership of hydro-electric power plants as they are today to mUnicip- aIly-owned waterworks.''
 Ia pnHuipg lines repOTt Secretary Lane takes up a serious situation which obtains in a great section of the country. There exists q feeling in the west" says he. that its affairs and 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. It is the sentiment of many who are without selfish motive and regard the matter wholly from the standpoint of national growth.
 There is one very simple expla- nation for the existence of this feel ing. We have adventured upon a new policy of administering our af- fairs and have not developed ade- quate machinery. We have called 0 halt on methods of spOilatiOn which existed. to the great benefit Of many, but we have failed to substitute methods, sane. healthful. and pro gressive, by which the normal enter prise of an ambitious people can make full use of their own resources. We abruptly closed opportunities to the monopolist. but did not open them to the developer"
 The land policy put into force" he says, caused dismay and discon- tent" The congress had been most generous in it's disposition of the pub lie lands. They were given to the railroads and to the states. To classify them was too difficult a task They would classify themselves when they arrived in individual own ership And so the door was opened for monopoly and for fraud.
 If the government did not appre- ciate the invaluable nature of it's as sets there were men who did. The nation wanted home makers but found it's lands drifting into the hands of corporations. which were withdrawing them from the market. 4 reaction was inevitable. If lands were to be withdrawn from public service, why might not the govern