Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-24
PLNK',..!Ll[,ETS|

Secretary Lane ut is certainly not
for the public interest" the report
says. that our coal deposits shall
be opened rapidly and ruthIessly.
can not feel, however, that we should
sacrifice any present need for fuel or
willingly surrender ourselves to a de-
rnand for exorbitant prices because of a
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 distributed over constantly
widening area. l think we have now
arrived at that point in scientific achieVe-
ment which justifies the belief that the
wheels of industry will not cease, nor
our houses go unlighted or unheated, so
long as dams may be built upon our
streams Water will be. indeed already
is, the greatest conservator of coal. We
must seek to make use of our 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 no more to the
operator than will make his work sufti-
GENTLY attractive to keep him at it. In
short we desire competition without
waste. a frank impossibility.
'Other countries have wrestled with
this problem. Some have gone into Cow
ernment operation. But those who are
nearest to us in Institutions and ten
dencies have found that in a new coun-
try where there must be large develop
ment and higher rewards for enterprise,
the safest practicable method is to
lease the land, the Government taking
modest royalty and retaining some meas
ure 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 leasing system, as in the case
| of coal, the Government reserving neces-
sary supplies
As TO oil he says: I'VE should. / be-
lieye, stimulate the search for oil and
protect the prospeetor. 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 obtain
license from the Government exclusively
to prospect a large tract of land for
| period of time-perhaps two years-and
| in the event that oil is found IN CONNER
| cial quantities the Government should
be paid a royalty fixed in advance
1.-The United States will need oil for its
navy as we'll as coal, and probably in
| increasing quantities as the modern OIL
| burning or gss-burning engines are
| recognized 1t would be economical to
substitute oil for coal for many reasons;
to reduce labor cost, to avoid the build
ing and maintenance of GOLFERS, and the
purchase and support of coaling stations
Englands S adventure in this direction will
presumably force other nations into like
enterprise and 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 ap-
pearing. Under these conditions it would
seem of the highest expediency that the
! Government make such offers as will in
! duce the proving of our lands, and OF
! these proved lands retain sufficient to
make our ships Independent 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 "homesteader," after get
| ting patent to the land, promptly sells 1t
/ for $4,000 or $4,000 to some lumber COM
! pany without making an effort to COM
/ ply with the spirit of the law. Thus, the
! Government loses the timber and the
land and does not gain 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 re-
mort to consideration of the reclamation
| Of arid lands Discussion of the sub
ieet is replete with interest to the farm
ers who locate on the various projects
Secretary Lane suggests that they De
given a longer time than ten years IN
which to pay Tor their lands, because
..they are genuine pioneers in a new held
| of work. on the success of which depends
| greatly the rescuing of a vast territory
OF these reclamation projects, Secretary
Lane says:
| .~rhe West can use profitably and wise
| 1v s1O0 600 000 in the next 10 years to the
| advantage of the whole country. Ii the
| Government will place upon leasing
basis these western resources with which
we have been dealing, it can have an IN
creased fund for the continuance OF TINS
work and an increased assurance OF the
return of its advances.
| In conclusion, Secretary Lane directs
attention to the enormous details, all I'M
| nortant, which the Interior Department
| administers, including care of the In
| dians and Eskimos, administration of
national parks. payment of pensions. su-
nervision of public lands, territories and
| many other important works.