Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-07-22
Our National. Estate
BY FREDERIC I. HASKIN.

0fMSa nr lMaB M 1Hn D0Ma no R#Fal gm n NMER ARR M
Washington. d. c., July 19.-Every
citizen Of the United States has an in
terest in an estate estimated to be
q potential annual income Of from
$12,ooo,000, 900 to SIS, 900, 900, 900.
Founders of great fortnes have
lagreed that their only real difficulty
lay in acquiring the first thousand
dollars-the thousands Inc millions
came as a mere matter of multiplied
ton. Upon that basis any man,
woman or child who owns allegiance
to thu Stars and Stripes has only to
cash in one individual share in this
$3.50, 900, 600, 900 estate to be in a po-
sition to go after the Rockefeller
record for piling up treasures on
earth.
Unfortunately for any such plans,
however, the estate is not in process
OF settlement or liquidation. and there
is little likelihood that the average
hands or a dollar Of it. It's real
wealth and his title to a proportion
ate share of 1t is not to be disputed.
It may increase largely in value and
no n can ever cheat him out Of his
part Of it. Yet he will never be able
to borrow a nickel on his share and
whatever benefits he may derive from
it will be sc indirect that he will
never be conscious of them. Tantal-
King, isn't it? +
This vast estate is made up of the
public domain and natural resources,
the title to which is vested in the
federal government. Admittedly its
value is hypothetical-a matter Of
estimate-but it has been placed at
! tho Ao1vroc n,p0tAH hxy r1a1oou on oN-
thority than Secretary of the Interior
Fall. Mr.. Fall Is recognized Is a
shrewd business mar and as he is
practically its administrator he ought
to know more about what it is worth
than anybody else nows.
Here are some Of the items Of this
national estate, as the secretary calls
million acres of forest lands; 90.000,r
900 acres Of grazing lands; $50 ,000,-
900 acres of arid and swamp lands,
immensely valuable when reclaimed;
12o, 000, 000, 900 tons of coal; 50,00O,-
100000 barrels Of petroleum and
shalo oil: waterpower that might de-
velop 20.00e, 900 horsepower with
ties beyond estimate; s deposits of
potash, phosphate, gold. silver, cop
per and other minerals, n 10000
0e0 acres Of national parks.
Leasing Possibilities.
Take the coal, oil, mineral and
waterpower items alone and it stag
gera the Imagination even to ap-
proximate the wealth producing pos
stbilities. 1t is Secretary Falls idea
that these should be ex-
plotted by a system of leasing to
private interests and II his estimates
as to royalties are correct the ma
tionAl debt could be- wiped out in
short order and the governments
Income would be such that it; would
not be necessary to levy n taxes to
. ne. ,, The expenses pens Of the federal cd.
That. however, like the prospect OF
the Individual citizens ever cashins
in On his. share of the national estate,
is something Of an ~iridescent dream.
The government has a constantly
growing income from the develop
ment of the public resources, and the
experiment Of leasing oil lands on, q
it ID extremely doubtful that the
country win ever embark upon an
ambitious program of this kind.
There 10 too much politics in the
proposition, or, in any event, there
is too much OF q possibility for play
ing politics in connection With It.
1t involves the old familiar hght
IONVI4 kA0 4u00LUN rUlH NOII6OE SAIAOHs I'll
one side is the element that believes
that the natural resources Of the pub
lie domain should be carefully pre-
served and guarded lest private 'indi-
vtdpalA and interests lay unholy
hands upon them. proftlng unduly
thereby. On the other side are those
who insist that the only sensible
policy 10 to make these resources Inn
mediately productive and that this
cannot be done BY the government
Itself. Both groups declare that they
are interested solely IN promoting
general welfare, but each ID sintoler-
ant OF the others ideas and each calls
the other names. II may be added
that such 4 strong case ~ made BY
each side that the average 1Ayr1an Ii
unable to decide which 10 right. Pos
tsibly neither 4 wholly rtEht nor
wholly wrong. 98fs
Oridn N Rsbaic Ddanein.
While this sdabake u going on II ID
Iintere0dng % d4fve into history and
tAseertAan5 when and how the federal
~G0ySFnment aoquiybA title TO Ill the
lands that c0mpf1Ge{ tho pu6ltc do
lMaln. Blythe Aftteses ~ ConfedeSa-
ton agr|sd TO IN c0nStpsgN NOysInbsf
llE, 1f57, s1ud sfA&tnsd ~ the several
EstatSG IA Sthe fo4r S1ubaDqnent sysske,
t1S govSrnsSont az the UnitAd 1titss
Asnef4ca 49, oFSaaassa ~ pnkrs-
su1nt ~ 5that aAt3eA tocks p0NAesdOe
ief 80 un.eeeyeDf3a4sls exeW1asiands q
i0fee& Dfttean ~ ~ 2bnne101r Z that
y~EtvesnMsat TAe11a1 - Ia 80