Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-12-24
.A BROAD POLICY
OF CONSERVATION

Continued from Page -
Nonc should Doe opened a. O basis for
a gamble in future values" In his
Judgment, they may be turned over
safely o. the public under leasing
and royalty system, similar TO that
under which the state uf Minnesota
leases It's ore lands and the states OF
Montana and Colorado their coal
lands tie adds that the money re.
ceiyed might bo used IN the develop
mcnt of the country and that a large
body OF coal land In each field be re
served for the navy IN time Of need.
Nigoruu, suggestions looking 10 the
conservative development Of The coal
lands OF the west are made by Score
tary Lane II Is certainly not for the
public interest" the report says, that
our coal deposits shall Doe opened rap
idly and ruthlessly / can not feel,
however, that we should sacrifice any
present need for fuel or willingly sur
render ourselves to demand for cE-
orbitant prices because Of fear that
some day the coal supply might be ex-
hausted Already there has been de-
yoloped substitute for coal in the flow
ing streams. The turbine converts
melted snow into heat and light,
which can be distributed over con-
stanty widening area. think We
have now arrived at that point in sci
entific achievement which justifies
the belief that the wheels of industry
will not cease, nor our houses go un-
lighted or unheated as long as dams
can be built upon our streams. Water
win be, indeed already is, the great
est cOncsrvator of coal We must
seek to make use of oar coal, the fun
est use that society requires. This
principle seems a trusm. But here
lies the difficulty. We wish cheap
coal and at the same time a minimum
of waste. We wish society 10 take the
ions share OF the profit and yield
no more to the operator than VIII
make his work sufficiently attractive
10 keep him at 1t. In short, We de-
sire competition without waste a
frank impossibility.
other countries have wrestled With
this problem. Some have gone into
government operation But those who
are nearest to us in institutions and
tendencies have found that in a new
country whore there must be large de-
vclopment and higher towards for en-
terprise, the safest practicable meth
cd is to lease the land, the govern
meut to take a modest royalty and re
tanning some measure OF control over
operation"
Similar suggestions are offered as
to the development of petroleum,
phosphate and potash Secretary
Lanes Idea is that such deposits
ought to be developed under the leas-
ing system, as in the case OF coal,
the government reserving necessary
supplies.
AS to oil, he says I'VE should,
believe, stimulate the search for oil
and protect the prospector | feel that
we are not sufficiently rewarding the
pioneer A plan could readily be
evolved, by which anyone wishing to
prospect for oil on the public lands
could obtain a license from the gov
ernment exclusively to prospect a
large tract of land for 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 viii oil for its
navy as well as coal, and probably In
increasing quantities AS the modern
oil burning or gas burning engines are
recognized. II would be economical
10 substitute oil for coal for many
reasons, to reduce labor cost, to avoid
the building and maintenance Of col
liens, and the purchase and support OF
coaling stations. Englands adventure
in this direction will presumably force
other nations into like enterprise, and
yet England has no oil fields upon
which to draw. while we have already
the largest producing fuel oil fields in
the world and others are appearing.