Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-12-24

| stantly widening area. | think we
have nov arrived at that point in sci,
entific achievement which justifies
the belief t.lat the wheels Of industry
will not cease. nor our houses 20
unlighted or %unheated, as long as
dams may be built upon our streams
Water will be, indeed, already is, the
greatest conseratOr of coal. We must
seek to make use Of our coal, the full
est use that society requires. This
principle seems a trnism. But here
lies the difficulty. We wish cheap
coal and ut the same time a mini,
mum 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 sufficiently at,
tractive to keep him at 1t. In short,
We desire competition without waste,
a frank impossibility.
"Othcr countries have wrcstlod
with this problem. Some have gone
into government operation. But
thoseYwhO are nearest to us in insti.
tuti0ns and tendencies have found
that in a new country, where there
must be large development and high.
err rewards for enterprise, the safest
practicable method is to lease the
lands t.le government taking a mod
est srnyalty and retaining some meas
urn 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: "We should. !
believe, stimulate the search for oil
and protect the prospector. l feel
that we are not sufficiently reward.
ing the pioneer. A plan could read.
thy be evolved by which anyone wish.
ing to prospect for oil on the public
lands could obtain a license from the
government exclusively 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 Shout be
paid q royalty fixed in advance.
"Tbe United States will need oil
for@ its navy, rs we'll as coal, and
probably in increasing quantities, as
the, modern oil-burning pregas-burning
engines are recognized 1t would be
economical TO substitute oil for coal
for many reasons; to reduce labor
cost, to avoid the building and main
tenance Of Golfers, and the purchase
and support of coaling stations. Eng,
lands 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 aldeay the largest pro.
ducing fuel oil fields in the world.
and others r appearing. Under
these conditions it would seem of the
highest expediency that the govern.
ment make such offers as will in
duce the proving Of our lands, and
of these proved lands retain sufi.
cient to make ships independent
Of the world and as fully competent
as their rivals" X
Secretary Lane expresses frankly
his. dissatisfaction with the operation
Of the homestead law as to the tim.
Der lands. He says the homestead
err" after getting patent to the land,
promptly sells it for $4,000 or $780,
900 to ome lumber company. with.
out making an effort to comply with
the spirit of the law. Thus, the gov
eminent losses the timber and the
land and does not gain a real home
maker. Such homesteaders addd
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 and and the tim
her separately"
Arid Lands Discussed.
Much attention is devoted in the
report to consideration of the recam-
alton of arid ands. Discussion Of the
subject is repete with interest to the
farmers who locate on the various
projects. Secretary Lane suggests
thai, they be given a longer time than
10, years in which to pay for their
lands, because they are genuine pio-
neers in a new fed of work, on the
success of which depends greatly the.
rescuing OF a vast territory. OF these,
reclamation projects, Secretary Lane
says:
"The west can use proftably and
wisely $100, 100000 in the next 10,
years, to the. advantage or the whole
country. II, the government vii pace
upon a easing basis these western re-
sources with which we have been
dealing, 1t can have an increased
fund for the continuance OF this work
and an increased assurance Of: the re-
turn OF its advances"
In conclusion, Secretary Lane d.
reefs attention to the. enormous de-.
tails. all important, which the interi.
or department administers, including
care 81 the indians and Eskimos, adj.
ministration Of national parks. pay,
ment of pensions, supervision Of pub.
lie lands. territories and many other,
TN nau&a = 81 xparYnM S3st6 tttsAEET 3NSE ItH&N3G2s