Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-06
DEVELOPMENT Of OIL
AND MINES PLANNED
BY SECRETARY FALL
Interior Department Aids in
Exploiting Natural Wealth
of United States.

Washington. Dec 5.--Use and devel-
opment Of the country's natural re-
sources under control of the interior
department have contributed in great
measure to national stabilization and
prosperity, Secretary Fall declared
Tuesday in his annual report, The sec
retary listed the more outstanding of
these contributions as opportunities
for home making upon public lands by
returned soldiers and other citizens !;
the discovery of new oil fields: develop
ment Of existing fields and increasing
production of oil and its products; the
exploitation of coal deposits. and the
opening Of mines in the western states,
incidentally. the interior secretary
declared, these developments have re-
suited in very substantial cash returns
TO the federal treasury and to the va
rious states in which these mineral
resources have been developed under
leading laws.
The outstanding administrative ac-
complishment of the department during
the fiscal year ended last June 80 was
declared TO be the reaching almost Of
current work in both the land office
and the pension office. The examipa-
ton of final homestead proofs is cur
rent in the former office, a situation
which has not existed for many years
the secretary said. This, he added, has
always resulted in placing in the hands
of the people assets valued at more
than $30.Go0.000 and has been done
without increase in force of that office
and in the face Of greatly increasing
work
Wider extension of the reclamation
policy in former arid lands of the
west was recommended in the report,
which showed that while funds wefe
restricted for that work the achieve
ments of the reclamation service jus
titled the continuation Of the recama-
ton policy. One new irrigation prof
ect was started despite lack of funds,
and the total value of crops raised on
than S4T5 .000.0 600 The benefits in
the way of making homes, increase of
food production and addition to the ma
tional wealth By reclamation Of lands
make that work of great value in re
turn to prosperity, the report assert
ed.
Education of Indians, which falls to
the lot of the interior department. has
been greatly promoted. The attend
ance at Indian schools for the past year
was 5000 greater than in any previous
year. special effort to provide
greater health facilities to the Indian
through more hospitals and more ex-
tensive nursing service was made.
The Fairgrounds of the nation. it's
national parks and monuments. were
visited BY a record breaking number of
persons. More than 1,218,OOO citizens
of every state and territory in the
union, it's possessions and many for
eign countries viewed the wonders Of
nature preserved in these parks.
Provision for storage of oil drawn
from government oil wells in the west.
allow for keeping greater quantities Of
crude oil, WAS recommended in the re-
port, in order that the government
which is forced to sell its oil ROYALTIES
monthly, may take advantage Of better
markets by holding back its stocks.
Provision for more storage tanks such
rs private companies have. in the
fields, is absolutely necessary, it was
said. Under this system, Dir. Fall
stated. the governments oils tend TO
beat down the price in periods Of de-
preston. to the injury of the con
sumer. To the extent that the govern !
ment is obliged to take part in busi /
ness, it should through its influence To- |
ward stabilization rather than toward |
generalization of the industry, he said. |