The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-12-02
CONSERVATION
OF OIL URGED
BY MR.. WORK
Secretary Of the Interior Calls
For a Commission. in His
Annual Report
OTHER BIG PROBLEMS
Indian Problems Eventually
To BE Those of the
States, He Says

Washington. Dee. 2-Crcation OF
a permanent federal oil commission
with new 10 conservation, Con
grcssional action on the new recla-
nation program. improvements IN
the administration of the country's
island possessions, and legislation TO
increase the Internal efficiency Of
the Interior Department were recon
mended by Secretary Work in his
annual report.
The Secretary did not discuss the
oil situation at length, but he de-
clared formation OF commission
Of cabinet members to deal with ii
was IAN urgent necessity
He likewise touched but briefly
on the new reclamation program
which vas worked out by a special
commission but which failed Of Con-
gressional approval at the last ses-
sion. Enactment Of the Legislation
contemplated in the program, ne
said, was one OF the tasks with
which the present session should
deal promptly.
He suggested that within the In
terror Department itself there was
need for new Bureau Of Public
Works, in which all construction and
engineering work performed by the
government could be centered. He
also advocated the concentration in
to one department, and under one
member Of the cabinet, of the terri
e.. ~ ,,,<I III
Public Lands Laws
The report contained hint that
a general overhauling Of the public
land laws may be recommended later
to Congress. Secretary Work said
a special committee was engaged in
a study of these statutes, and add
ed:
at is probable that growth Of the
country and changed conditions will
warrant some radical departures
from established custom. The ques-
ton arises whether the government
should continue the present method
of disposing of its public domain.
The present law covering the ac-
quisition of timber and stone lands
on the public domain, passed i'm
1878, should be revised to better
protect our vanishing timber in the
public interest"
The results of the recent reor-
which clipped S266,000 from the an
nual payroll and enabled the Bureau
to return $4,000 of its appropria-
ton to the Treasury, were praised
by the Secretary as constituting a
measure both of economy and eff
cheney. Better results had been
brought about. he said, despite the
fact that 33S positions in the Blu
reau were eliminated by the reor-
ganization program.
1t was pointed out that special
commission was studying the situa-
ton in the Patent Office, with Il
view to bringing that Bureaus work
DDS of administration in the Genera
Land Office had effected saving
of about $s5, 900 during the year in
It's operating expenses.
Declaring the problem of digect-
ing federal guardianship of 225,O0O
Indians is one of great concern to
him, the Secretary urged that CEN
tralized authority with decentralized
responsibility is essential in the In
dian service, because of the distance
between the bureau in Washington
and it's wards.
Indian Problem to States
Estates should be impressed he
said, that ultimately Ghe Indian
problem is theirs to solve, and the
governments participation should
eventually be cooperative rather
than initiative in character"
Describing the growing popularity
Of the national park system--visited
last season by record crowds in
spite of conditions adverse to ira
vel, Mr.. Work said he hoped Con
gress would see to create an out
door playground, readily accessible
to the millions Of persons from
densely populated centers of the
East. He observed that the West
ern states so far have virtually
monopoly .on national parks. the
only one in the East being Lafayette
National Park in Maine. A commit
tee has inspected proposed sites fol-
national park in the Southern Ap'
palachian Mountain region, and its
recommendation will be presented to