The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-01-08
OWNERSHIP
OF POWER SERVICE
COMING, SAYS LANE
Secretary Of Interior Foresees
an Era Of Electric Develop
ment in United States.

washington, d. c. Special: With
bold strokes Franklin X. Lane, secre-
tary of the interior, outlined in his
annual report to the president, a 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. 1t,
likewise, is wholly unique, in that 1t
contains not O single recoInmenda-
ton. Suggestions for action. which
Is what the country desires and needs,
are numerous; but he prefers to pro-
pose general policies to the making Of
fiat recommendations. .+
Two notable and interesting pre-
dictions are Indicated rather. than
made in the report. One fs that the
time Is not far distant when coal Of
too low a grade ito stand storage or
transportation will be converted into
electricity at the mouth Of the mines
and widely distributed for lighting,
heat and power" the other, that the
gigantic force now wasting itself In
the rivers OF the country viii be so
controlled by dams as to provide heat,
light and power to the people and that
within O. generation / believe the peo-
pie win be as alive to the value Of
public ownership Of hydro-electric
power plants as they are today to
municipality owned waterworks."
Attitude of The West.
In the opening lines OF the report
Secretary Lane takes up a serious
situation, which obtains in a great Sec
ton 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 confined to specula-
tors or exploiters. 1t is the sentiment
Of many who are without selfish mo-
tive and regard the matter wholly
from the standpoint OF national growth.
There Is one very simple explana-
ton, for h existence OF this feeling.
We have adventured upon a new policy
of administering affairs and have
not developed adequate machinery. We
have called a halt on methods Of
spoliation which existed, to the great
benefit Of many, but we have failed to
substitute methods sane healthful and
progressive, by which the normal en-
terprise 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 discomfort,
The congress had been most generous
in Its disposition Of The public 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 ar
rfUnd In tndfUfdtInl NnrfTN aRahtn .s Ard
so the door was opened for monopoly
and for fraud.
IF the government did not appre-
ciats the Invaluable nature of its assets
there were men who did. The nation
wanted home makers, but found it's
land drifting into the hands of corpor-
atoms, which were withdrawing them
from the market. A reaction was In
evitable, II lands were to be with
drawn from public service why might
not the government do the withdrawing
itseif7 ' VA. ~
Results OF New Policy.
A new policy was evolved, the secre-
tary pointed ~out--that OF using the land
for the purpose TO which it 10 best
lifted. ITO this policy" he says. II be-
lteve the west is now reconciled. The
west no longer urges q return to the
hazards OF the land Is land policy. But
1t does ask action. Already the con-
gress has recognized the appositeness
OF this policy, but IL is for yourself and
congress further extend this thought
into our legislation. ~
"The largest body OF unused and
neglected land In the United States Is
Alaska" In the 46 years intervening
since its purchase I'VE nave given II
little more than the most casual con-
Germ, yet its mines, fisheries n furs
alone have Aadded to our wealth the
grand sum or 0 0.000,0o0. For almost
q generation II was the rich harvest
held OF a single company. Individual
fortunes have been made In that coun-
try larger than the price paid to Rus
STA for the whole territory. 1t has been
estimated that there are So 900, 900
acres Of this land that win make homes
for q people as sturdy NJ those OF New
England. Whether this Is so or not, II
would appear that Alaska raj be made
self sustaining agriculturally. 3
This 8 and unsurpassed asset lies
almost u~ndeveloped. A territory one
NTH the size OF the United States on
tains less than 1000 miles OF anything
that can be called a wagon road"
Wealth Of Alaska.
This unfortunate condition, In Secre-
tary Lanes Judgment, is not due to
".the inhospitality OF the Alaska cli-
mate" because "some OF southeastern
Alaska has a climate moro temperate
and moro equabie than that OF the city
u NM 4M HM w MN