Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-07-22
OUR NATIONAL ESTATE
BY Frederic J. Hsshin


Washington, July 22s--Eysry ciu-
zen of the United States has an Inter
est In an estate estimated 90 be worth
Of least $4,000. 100000, with a DO
tentiai annual income Of from s12,0oo,-
0oO, 900 to $4,000. 000, 600. Founders OF
great fortunes have agreed that their
only real difficulty lay In acquiring
the nrsi thousand dollsre--the thou
sands and millions came az mere
matter of multiplication. Upon that
basis any man. woman or child who
owns allegiance to tho Stars and
Stripes has only TO cash In ono in
dlvidual share In this $4,000. 100000
estate 20 be In position TO 20 after
the Rockefeller record for piling up
| treasures on earth.
Unfortunately for any such plans,
! however, tho estate IL not in process
Of settlement or liquidation. and there
- little likelihood that tho average oiti-
zen will ever actually get his hands on
dollar Of 81. It's real wealth and his
| title 20 a prop0rtionate share of II Is
not to bs disputed. Il may increase
largely in value and no one can ever
cheat him out OF his part Of II, Yet
he will never be able TO borrow nickel
on his share and whatever beneiite
he may derive from II win be go In
direct that he will never be conscious
Of them. Tantalizing. Isn't it7
This vast estate IN made mp Of the
public domain and natural RESOURCES.
tho title TO which n vested In the Fed
oral Government. Admittedly It's value
il hypOtbeticel--a mater Of estimate
but Il has been placed at the figures
quoted by no lees an authority than SEQ
rotary Of the Interior Fall. Mr.. Fall
ia recognized as a shrewd business mar
and az he Ia practically its admlnistra
tor he ought to know more about what
u Is worth than anybody eiee knows
Here are some Of tho Items Of thi:
national estate, al the Secretary oalk
%: ITS .000.0 acres Of forest lands
p0,000.000 acres Of grazing lands. $50,
, 000. 900 acres Of arid and swamp lands
immensely valuable when reclaimed
100 900 900, 900 tons OK coal; $4,000, 900,
900 barrels Of petroleum and ehele oil
wsterpower that might develop 1000.
900 horsepower with industrial an
! commercial possibilities beyond est
mate; vast deposits of potash, phos
:, phate. gold. silver, copper and othe
|. minerals, end $50. 900. 600 acres o, ma
tionsl parks
a Leasing Possibilities.
THke tho coal. oil, mineral and wo
!, tsrpower items alone and - stagger
o the Imagination even to approximat
the wealth producing possibilities
=, ls Secretary Falls idea that these re
souroes should be exploited by p sys
!. tenn Of leasing 70 private interests an
II hls estimates NJ 20 royalties ar
:, correct the national debt could
:, wiped out in short order and the Cboy
= ernmsnt's income would be such ths
:. II would not Ia necessary 70 levy an
taxes TO meet the expenses OF tho Fed
eral establishment.
70 That, however. like The prospect (
~ the individual citizens ever csshing
!" on his share OF the national estat
!" ia something Of an rideeceut drsar
= The Government has constant
growing income from the deveIoprnel
Va Of the public resources and the exper
= ment Of leasing oil lands on n roya
Of ty basis is now being tried. but It
n extremely doubtful that ths count,
- viii ever embark upon an ambition
- program Of this kind. Thore - q
~ much politics IN the proposition, {
as IN any event. there - too much Of
at possibility for playing politics in co
re nection with u.
ri It involves the old familiar fight ov
tho question Of conservation. on O
We side Is the clement that believes IN
or the natural resources Of the pub
Ia domain should be carefully presery
mt and guarded lest private individu'
Ike and interests lay unholy hands up
them. profiting unduly thereby. On
,w other side are those who insist u
r. the only sensible policy IS 70 ma
70 these resources Immediately product
,ia and That this cannot be done by
~, Government itself. Both groups decI'
that they are Interested solely In pl
noting general welfare but each
nm intoierant Of the others ideas and "a
-. calls the other names. X may be add
- that such a strong case Is made
each side that the average Iayman
unable 70 decide which Is right. Pos
bly, neither Is wholly right nor who
wrong.
Origin OF Public Domain.
While this debate "a going on It
interesting 20 delve into history a
ascertain when and now the Fede
Government acquired title 10 all
Is lands that comprise the public donna
OIL BY the Articles Of Confederat
om agreed 70 IN Congress November
1911, and ratified by the several sta
of in the four subsequent years, the G'
for eminent Of the United States Of Am
all ica was organized and pursuant 70 q
action took possession OF the unapp
es, priated Crown lands Of Great Brit
as the successor 10 tha: governme
ID The treaty OF 1888 was Englands :
NAL rellnq Ok all proprieU
yer and territorial rights in this col
Oh. Try, leaving the ownership Of
zen United States and the individ
en- states undsputed.
the The Continental Congress next pa
on. ed a resolution recommending &
the several states should surren
~" all their waste and unappropria
Who lands 20 the central government.
ISL a measure toward paying the d
ms. Incurred by the War Of the RevoIuti
led Each of the states held or ciair
on. vast acreages outside their own <
lck graphical boundaries. Virginia, for
ample. had almost 200. 100000 acres
the territory lying north of the q
no River and east OF the AtisslseiI
Massach usetts had millions Of a,
now included in Michigan. Illinois
! IN Wisconsin: Connecticut had a re
tory almost as large In what Is
northern Ohio, Indiana and HIN