The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-22

WASHINGTON, D. c., July 22-l
Every citizen of the United States has
an interest in an estate estimated to
be worth at least $150, 900, 100000 with
a potential annual income of from $12,
00O, 900, 900 to SIS, 000,000,000. Found
ers Of great fortunes have agreed that
their only real difficulty lay in acquir-
ing the first thousand dollars the
thousands and millions came as a mere
matter of multiplication. Upon that
basis any man, woman or child who
owns allegiance to the Stars and
Stripes has only to cash in one indi-
vidual share in this $3.50 900, 100000 es-
tate to be in position to go after the
Rockefeller record for piling up treas
ures 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 citi-
zen will ever actually get his hands
on a dollar of It, It's real wealth ana
his title to a proportionate share OF 1t
is not to be disputed. 1t may increase
largely in value and not one can ever
cheat him out of his part of it. Yet
lie Will nSNSI NC dOlC " OOAAO" -
nickel on his share and whatever bene-
fits he may derive from it will be so
indirect that he will never be con-
scious of them. Tantalizing, isn't it?
This vast estate is made up of the
public domain and natural resources,
the title to which is vested in the fed
eral government. Admittedly its value
is hypothetical-a matter of estimate
but it has been placed at the figures
quoted by no less an authority than
Secretary of the Interior Fall. Mr.
Fall is recognized as shrewd bust
ness man and as he is practically its
administrator he ought to know more
about what it is worth than anybody
| else knows.
Here are some of the items of this
! national estate, as the secretary calls
| it: 5000, 600 acres of forest lands
100000 acres of grazing lands; $50,
900, 900 acres of arid and swamp lands
immensely valuable when reclaimed
I 100, 600, 900, 900 tons of coal; 100000,
900 barrels of petroleum and shale oil;
l waterpower that might develop 10000,
| 600 horsepower with industrial anc
commercial possibilities beyond est
mate; vast deposits of potash, phos
plate, gold, silver. copper and othel
minerals, and 150,000,000 acres Of ma
tional parks.
Leasing Possibilities
Take the coal, oil, mineral ard wa
| terpower items alone and it stagger
the Imagination even to approximate
the wealth producing possibilities.
is Secretary Falls idea that these re
sources should be exploited by a sys
| tenn of leasing to private interests anC
if his estimates as to royalties are cor
rect the national debt could be wipet
out in short order and the govern
ment's income would be such that i
would not be necessary to levy an,
taxes to meet the expenses of the fed
eral establishment.
j That, however, like the prospect o
Y the individual citizens ever cashin
in on his share of the national estate
: is something of an iridescent dream
The government has a CONSTANT
growing income from the development
of the public resources, and the expel
/. iment of leasing lands on a royalt
! basis is now being tried, but it is e.
: tremely doubtful that the country wi
ever embark upon an ambitious pro
i gram of any kind. There is too niue
( politics in the proposition, or. in an
= event, there is too much of possibilit
! for playing politics in connectio
[ with it.
5 1t involves the old familiar fight owe
t the question of conservation. On on
side is the element that believes tha
4 the natural resources of the pubic d.
Y main should be carefully preserve
and guarded lest private individual
y the gift of the Otterbein Worker
l. class of the church.
n Mrs. Anna Yingling, widow of til
L