The Washington herald., 1914-03-22
in length more than two-and-one-half
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Broad Powers of Supervision.

in length more than two-and-one- half
! times the width.
| Broad Powers of Supervision.
| G. vesting in the Secretary of the In
terror broad powers'of supervision to en-
| force continued operation of leased lands.
| to guard against monopoly, waste, un-
safe methods. and conditions of opera
tions. and to pass on applications for
renewal of leases.
| This program represents a decision on
large part of the administration con-
servation problem. Secretary of the In
terror Lane Is the Presidents principal
adviser on conservation matters. The
program represents the ideas of the Sec
retary. in whose department several Of
the measures were drawn. Secretary
Lane now is working on the water
power phase of the conservation question.
| 1t is probable when this has been pre-
scented to the President the latter will
embody the two subjects in a message
or address on conservation.
Secretary Lane himself drew up the
Alaskan coal leasing bill, which is ad-
vanced as a companion measure to the
Alaskan railroad act, and which received
a unanimous report from the House Com
/, mittee on Territories, although the chair
man of that committee, Scott Ferris. of
Oklahoma, strongly opposed the railroad
bill.
The fundamental features OF the Alaskan
coal leasing bill are embodied in Ferris
, bill for the exploitation of coal, OIL
phosphate, potassium. and other mineral
deposits in this country. Secretary Lane
has not commented for publication on the
Ferris bill, but comes out strongly in
favor Of the Alaskan coal leasing
measure.
Lane Favors Leasing Plan.
'It is a leasing bill with a minimum
of detail and a maximum of advantage
to Alaska" he said. 'Tt lays all practical
safeguards against monopoly and yet per-
mits OF large working areas. It is aimed
to compel the development of coal and
not to form a Foundation for speculation
in the value of coal lands.
''The plan proposed-to lease coal to
operators-has several points of value. It
is. in the first place, the normal plan.
1t is the method under which practically
50 per cent of the coal in this country is
mined. We hear of coal operators and
mine workers. but seldom of coal pro-
prietors. The reason is apparent.
why tie up capital in the coal itself
when such capital more profitably may
be used in development? And one may
reasonably ask: Why should 1t be the
policy of our people to limit coal opera
tions to those who have money enough
to allow a large investment to lie idle
in a coal field? Could there be a greater
temptation to monopoly, or a more GER
tain warning to men Of small means
that they are not to be regarded as fac
tors In the coal industry?
Sought to Evade Laws.
For seven years the ccal of Alaska has
been withdrawn from use. This has been
an act of cruelty to the people of Alaska
and an act sof injustice to ourselves.
We know why il was done, because by
fraud men sought to evade our laws and
take to themselves that to which they
had no right out Of some 1.1oo claims
which were filed upon about one-half
have been declared fraudulent, and the
remainder stin are unadjudicated. That
discrcditable incident is now a matter of
history, which I am sure has fixed Its