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Iff **- v r- ^ • »y|k» •« £ v, -•<• ' V •> .»,-- ^ w w : ; q p r ^ T ^ § i f a _ .„_ , _ , _ JMIS rflPSSPiii^^^ >;. ! * s '* \ n » , ,*• r , f* J-S ""• j#5r..- ^^gsr T: *• ***1 / *",¥ V1 S^CTf'* j_• ^ 7-5 ^«„- 'i ^ S-t 'I *•' ,*',t" . s • * * tii President Taffs Address Before Congress at St. Paul. DANGER IN CONTINUED WASTE Chief Executive Outlines Plans Which He Believes Should Be Adopted-- Statistics Make Speech Com­ prehensive to Hearers. St, Paul, Minn., Sept. 5.--President Taft delivered his long-expected speech before the National Con- oervalien congress here today. Sub­ stantially it was as follows: flAntlctnen of the National Conservation Gongresa: Conservation as an economic and po­ litical term has comn to mean the preser­ vation of our natural resources for sconomtcal use, so as to secure the great­ est (food to the greatest number. The danger to the state and to the peo­ ple at large from the waste and dissipa- 4*ea of our national wealth la not one Trh'jjh quickly impresses Itself an the pee- pls of ths o!dt-r communities, because its saost obvious Instances do not occur in their neighborhood, while In the newer part of the country the sympathy with expansion and development Is so strong tjuu. the danger is scoffed at or ignored. Among scientific men and thoughtful ob­ servers, however, the danger has always 'been present; but It needed some one to twin? home the crying need for a remedy of this evt! so as to impress itself on the public mind and lead to the formation of public- opinion and action by the repre­ sentatives of the people. Theodore Roose­ velt took up this task in the last two years of his second administration, and well dM he perform it. 'As president of the United States I iiavei as it were, inherited this policy, and ! rejoice In my heritage. I prize my hiyh epportunity to do «J1 that an ex­ ecutive can do to help a great people realize a great national ambition. For conservation Is national. It affects every man of us, every woman, every child. "What 1 can do In the cause I shall do, not as president of a party, but as presi­ dent of the whole people. Conservation Is not a question of politics, or of fac­ tions, or of persons. It is a question that effects the vital welfare of all of us--of our children and our children's children. 2 Urg* thai no good can come from meet­ ings of this sort unless we ascribe to thorn who take part in them, and who are apparently striving worthily in the cause all proper motives, and unless we Judicially consider every measure or method proposed with a view to it* effec­ tiveness tn achieving our common pur­ pose. and wholly without regard to who proposes It or who will claim the credit for Its adoption. The problems are of very great difficulty and can for the calmest consideration and clearest fore- eight- Many of the questions presented have phases that ere new tn this coun­ try, and It is possible that In their solu­ tion we may have to attempt first one way and then another. What I wish to emphasize, however. Is that a satisfac­ tory conclusion can only be reached promptly if we avoid aclmony, imputa­ tions of bad faith, and political contro­ versy. The public domain of the government of the United States, Including all the cessions from those of tl?e thirteen states that made cessions to the United States and Including Alaska, anounted in all to about 1,800,000,000 acres. Of this there is left as purely government property out­ side of Alaska something like 700,000.000 of acres. Of this the national forest re­ serves In the United States proper em­ brace 144,000,000 acres. The rest is largely mountain or arid country, offering some J opportunity for agriculture by dry farm- j lng and by reclamation, and containing I metals as well as coal, phosphates, oils, j and natural gas. _Th<»n the government | owns many tracts of land lying along the j margins of streams that have wat*»r power, the use of which is necessary in the conversion of the power into elec­ tricity and Its transmission. I shall divide my discussion under the beads of (1) agricultural lands; (2) min- eral lands--that Is, lands containing metalliferous minerals: (3) forest lands (4) coal lands: <5) oil and gas lands; an* (Q phosphate lands. Agricultural Lands. Our land laws for the entry of agricul­ tural lands are now as follows: The original homestead law, with tha requirements of residence and cultivation for five years, much more strictly eo forced than ever before. The enlarged homestead act, applying to nonirrlgable lands only, requiring fl^'S years' residence and continuous cultiva­ tion of one-fourth of the area. The desert-land act, which requires or. the part of the purchaser the ownership of * water right and thorough reclajr-A- tlon of the land by Irrigation, and IM payment of $1.25 pnr acre. The donation or Carey act, under which the state selects the land and provides for Its reclamation, and the title vests 'n the settler who resides upon the land a^d cultivates It and pays the cost of the reclamation. The national reclamation homest*r.d law, requiring five years' residence and cultivation by the settler on the land ir­ rigated by the government, and payment by him to the government of the cost of the reclamation. ' T h e present congress passed a bill of treat Importance, severing the ownership of coal by the government in thf> ground from the surface and permitting home­ stead entries upon the surface of the land, whieh, when perfected, give the settler the right to farm the surface, while the coal beneath the surface !-» re­ tained In ownership by the government and may be disposed of by it under other laws. There Is no crying need for radicrtl re­ form In the methods of disposing of what are really agricultural lands The pres­ ent laws have worked well. The en­ larged homestead law has encouras^d the successful farming of lands tn the seml- arld regions. Of course the teachings of the agricultural department as tr how these subarld lands may be treated and the soil preserved for useful rultu 'e are Of the very essence of conservation Then conservation of agricultural larris Is Shown in the reclamation of arid lands <fcy irrigation and 1 should devote a ff*w words to what the government has done and is doing in this regard. i Reclamation. By the reclamation act a fund has been created of the proceeds of the public lands of the United States with which to construct wOrks for storing great bodies of water at proper altitudes from which, by a suitable system of canals an1 ditch­ es. the water is to be distributed Over the arid and subarld lands of the government to be sold to settlers at a price sufficient to pay for the Improvements. PMmarily, the projects are and must be for the im­ provement of public lands Incidentally, Where private land Ib also with'i. reach of the wate* supply, the furntnisMg at coet or profit of this water to private owners by the government Is held by the federal court of appeals not to be a usurpation of power. But certainly this ought npt to be done except from sur­ plus water, not needed for government i land. The total sum already accumula­ ted In the reclamation fund Is *50.273,- &S.22, and of that all btft $6,491,965.34 has been expended. It became very clear to Congress at Its last session, from the statements made by experts, that these 80 projects could not be promptly com­ peted with the balance remaining on hand or with the funds likely to accrue In the near future. It was found, more­ over, that there Rre many settlers who have been led into taking up lands with the hope and understanding of having water furnished in a short time, who are left In a most distressing situation. I recommended to congress that authority be given to the aecr^lmy of ths Interior to issue bonds In anticipation of the as­ sured earnings by the projects, so that the projects, worthy and feasible, might be promptly completed, and the settlers might be relieved from their present in­ convenience and hardship. In authorising the Issue of these projects, congress lim­ ited the application of their proceeds to those projects which a board of army en­ gineers, to be appointed hv the president, should examine and determine to be feasible and worthy of completion. The board has been appointed and soon will make its renort. Suggestions have been made that the United States ought to aid in the drain­ age of swamp lands belonging to the states or private owners. because. if drained, they would be exceedingly val­ uable for agriculture and contribute to the general welfare by extending the area of cultivation. I deprecate the agl- taticr, In favor of such legislation. Ii is inviting the grne<-ai government into contribution from its treasury toward en- terpr'ses thai should be conducted either by private capital or at the Instance of the state In these days there is a dispo­ sition to look too much to the federal government for everything. I am liberal In the construction of the Constitution with reference to federal power: but I am firmly convinced that the only safe course for us to pursue is to hold fast t.i the limitations of the Constitution and to regard as sacred the powers of the states. We have made wonderful prog­ ress and at the same time have pre­ served wtth Judicial exactness the re­ strictions of the Constitution. There is an easy way In which the Constitution can be violated by congress without Judicial inhibition, to-w!t, by appropria­ tions from the national treasury for un­ constitutional purposes It will be a sorry day for this country If the time ever comes when our fundamental compact shall be habitually disregarded In this manner. Mineral Lands. By mineral lands I mean those lands bearing metals, or what are called metal­ liferous minerals. The rules of owner­ ship and disposition of these lands were first fixed by custom in the west, and then were embod'ed In the IMw, and they have worked, on the whole, so fairly and well that I do not think It Is wise to attempt to change or better them. Forest Lands. Nothing can be more Important In the matter of conservation than the treatment of our forest lands. It was probably the ruthless destruction of forests In the older states that flrst called attention to a halt In the waste of our resources. This was recognized '>> congress by an act authorizing the executive to reserve from entry and set aside public timber lands as national forests Speaking generally, there has been reserved of the existing forests about seventy per cent, of all the timber lands of the government. Within these forests (Including 26.000.000 acres In two forests tn Alaska) are 192,- 000.000 of acres, of which lGG.OOO.OCO of acres are In the United States proper and Include within their boundaries some­ thing like 22.0t*Vpoo of acres that belong to the state or to private individuals. We have then, excluding A'aska forests, a total of about 144.000.000 acres of forests belonging to the government which Is being treated In accord with the princi­ ples of scientific forestry. The eovernment timber in this coun­ try amounts to only one-fourth of all the t'mber. the rest being In private own­ ership. Only three per cent, of that which Is in private ownership is looked after properlv and treated according to mod­ ern rules of forestry. The usual de- ' structlve waste and neglect continues li» the remainder of the forests owned b*' private persons and corporations. It H estimated that Are alone destroys $80,000.- 000 worth of timber a year. Thr> management of forests not on public land is beyond the Jurisdiction of the fed­ eral government. If anything can be don* bv law it must be done by the state leg- V»latures I believe that it is within thet» constitutional power to require the en­ forcement of regulations In the general public interest, as to Are and other causes of waste In the management Of forests owned by private Individuals avtf corporations. I have shown sufficiently the condition# as to federal forestry to Indicate that no further legislation Is needed at the mo­ ment except an Increase in the Are pro­ tection to national forests and an act vesting the executive with full powfr tn make fprest reservations In every stafe where government land is tlmber-covere/1. or where the land is needed for forestry purposes. Coal Lands. The next subject, and one most impor­ tant for our consideration. Is the disposi­ tion of the coal lands In the United States and in Alaska. First, as to those In the United States. At the beginning of this administration they were classi­ fied coal lands amounting to 5,476,000 acres,, and there were withdrawn from entry for purposes of classification 17,- 5)67.000 acres Since that time there have been withdrawn by my order from entry for flaselflcatlon 77.64S 000 acres, making a total withdrawal of 95.515,000 acres. Meantime, of the acres tht s withdrawn, 11.371,000 have been classified and found not to contain coal, and have been re­ stored to agricultural entry, and 4 356.000 acres have been classified as coal lands; while 79.788,000 acres remain withdrawn from entry and await classification. In addition 336,000 acres have been classi­ fied as coal lands without prior withdraw­ al, thus Increasing the classified coal lands to 10.168.000 acres. Under the laws providing for the dispo­ sition of coal lands, the minimum price at which lands are permitted to he sold is $10 an acre; but the secretary of the interior has the power to fix a maximum price and sell at that price. By the first regulations governing appraisal. ap­ proved April S, 1907. the minimum was $10. as provided by law. and the maximum was $100, and the highest price actually placed upon any land sold was $75. Un­ der the new regulations, adopted April 10, 1!>09, the maximum price was Increased to 1300, except In regions where there are largo mines, where no maximum limit Is fixed and the price Is determined by the estimated tons of coal to the acre. The highest price fixed for any land under this regulation has been $608. The ap­ praisal value of the lands classified as coal lands and valued under the new and old regulations Is shown to be as follows: 4,303,921 acres, valued under the old regu­ lations at $77,644,329, an average of $18 an acre; and 5,864,702 acress classified and valued under the new regulation at $394.- 203.242, or a total of 10,165,623 acres, val­ ued at $471,847,571. For the year ending March 31, 1909 . 227 coal entries were made, embracing an area of 35.331 acres, which sold for $663.- 020.40. Kor the year ending March 31, 1910, there were 176 entries, embracing an area of 23,(13 acres, which sold for 1908,- 818; and down to August, 1910, there were but 17 entries, with an area of 1,780 act-es, which sold for $38,910.08 making a dispo­ sition oi the coal lands In the last two years of about 60,000 acres for $1,506,000. The present congress, as already said, has separated the surface of coal l&nds, either classified or withdrawn for classi­ fication, from the coal beneath, so aa to permit at all times homestead entries upon the surface of lands useful for ag­ riculture and to reserve the ownership in the coal to the government. The ques­ tion which remains to be considered is whether the existing law for the sale of the coal In the ground should continue in force or be rSpeaied and a new method of disposition adopted. Under the present law the absolute title In the coal be­ neath the surface passes to the grantee of the government. The price fixed Is upon an estimated amount of the tons of coal per acre beneath the surface, and the prices are fixed so that the earnings will only be a reasonable profit upon the amount paid and the investment neces­ sary. But, of course, this Is more or less guesswork, and the government parts with the ownership of the coal In the ground absolutely. Authorities of the ge­ ological survey estimate that In the UnitetK States today there ts a supply of about three thousand billions of tons of coal, and that of this one thousand billions are in the public domain. Of course, the oth­ er two thousand billions are within private ownership and under no more control as to the use or the prices at which the coal may be sold than any other private property. If the government leases the coal lands and acts as any landlord would, and Imposes conditions In Its leases like those which are now Imposed by the owners In fee of coal mines In the various coal regions of the east, then It would retain over tho disposition of the coal deposits a choice as to the assignee of the lease, or of resuming possession at the end of the term of the lease, which might easily be framed to enable It to exercise a limited but effective control in the disposition and sate of the coal to the public. It has been urged that the leasing system has never been adopted in this country, and that Its adoption would largely Interfere with the Investment of capital and the proper development and openlsg up of the coal resources. I ven­ ture to differ entirely from this view. The question as to how great an area ought to be Included In a lease to one individual or corporation, Is not free from difficulty; but In view of the fact that the government retains control as owner, I think there might be some liberality In the amount leased, and that 2,800 acres would not be too great a maximum. By the opportunity to readjust the terms upon which the coal shall be held by the tenant, either at the end of each lease or at periods during the term, the government may secure the benefit of sharing In the increased price of coal and the additional profit made by the tenant. By Imposing conditions in respect to the character of work to be done In the mines, the government may control the character of the development of the mines and ine treatment of employes with reference to safety. By denying the right to transfer the lease except by the written permission of the governmental authorities. It may withhold the needed consent when It Is proposed to transfer the leasehold to persons Interested in es­ tablishing a monopoly of coal production in any state or neighborhood. The change from the absolute grant to the leasing system will Involve a good deal of trouble In the outset, and the training of experts In the matter of making proper leases: but the change will be a good one and can be made. The change is in the Interest of conservation, and I am glad to approve It. Alaska Coal Land*. The Investigation of the geological sur­ vey show that the coal properties in Alaska cover about 1,200 square miles, and that there are known to be available about 15,000,000,000 tons. This Is, however, an underestimate of the coal in Alaska, because further developments will prob­ ably Increase this amour.t many times; but we can say with considerable cer­ tainty that there are two fields on the Pacific slope which can be reached by railways at a reasonable cost from deep water--In one case about fifty miles and In the other case of about 150 miles-- which will afford certainly 6,000,000,000 tons of coal, more than half of which is of a very high grade of bituminous and of anthracite. It Is estimated to be worth, in the ground, one-ha&f a cent a ton, which makes Its value per acre from $50 to $500. The coking-coal lands of Penn­ sylvania are worth from $800 to $2,000 an acre, while other Appalachian fields are worth from $10 to $886 an acre, and the fields In the central states from $10 to $2,000 an acre, and In the Rocky moun­ tains $10 to $500 an acre. The demand for coal on the Pacific coast Is for about 4,500,000 tons a year. It would encounter the competition of cheap fuel oil, of which the equivalent of 12,000,000 tons of coal a year is used there. It Is estimated that the coal could be laid down at Se­ attle or San Francisco, a high-grade bi­ tuminous, at |4 a ton and anthracite at $S or $6 a ton The price of coal on the Pacific slope varies greatly from time to time In the year and from year to year-- from $4 to $12 a ton. With a regular coal supply established, the expert of the geological survey, Mr. Brooks, who has made a report on the subject, does not think there would be an excessive proft tn the Alaska coal mining because the price at which the coal could be sold would be considerably lowered by compe­ tition from these fields and by the pres­ ence of crude fuel oil. The history of the iaws affecting the disposition of Alaska coal lands shows them to need amend­ ment badly. On November 12, 1906, President Roose­ velt Issued an executive order with­ drawing all coal lands from location and entry in Alaska. On May 16, 1907, he modified the order so as to permit valid locations made prior to the withdrawal on November 12. 1906. to proceed to entry and patent. Prior to that date some 900 claims had been filed, most of them said to be illegal because either made fraudu­ lently by dummy entrymen In the Inter­ est of one Individual or corporation, or because of agreements made prior to lo­ cation bet ween the applicants to co-operate in developing the lands. There are 31 claims for 160 acres each, known as the "Cunningham claims," which are claimed to be valid on the ground that they were made by an attorney for 83 different and bona fide claimants who, as alleged, paid their money and took the proper steps to locate their entries and protect them. The representatives of the government In the hearings before the land office have attacked the validity of these Cunningham claims on the ground that prior to their location there was an understanding between the claimants to pool their claims after they had been perfected and unite them In one com­ pany. The trend of decision seems to show that such an agreement would In­ validate the claims, although under the subsequent law of May 28. 1908, the con­ solidation of such claims was permitted, after location and entry, in tracts of 2,SCO acres. It would be, of course. Im­ proper for me to Intimate what the re­ sult of the Issue as to the Cunningham and other Alaska claims Is likely to be, but It ought to be distinctly understood that no private claims for Alaska coal lands have as yet been allowed or per­ fected, and also that whatever the result as to pending claims, the existing coal- land laws of Alaska are most unsatisfac­ tory and should be radically amended. To begin with, the purchase price of the land Is a flat rate of $10 per acre, al­ though, as we have seen, the estimate of the agent of the geological survey would Barry up the maximum of value to 9Rnn *n acito'. In my Judgment it to essential In tha proper development of Alaska that these coal lands should be opened, and that the Pacific slope should be given the benefit of the comparatively cheap coal of fine quality which can be furnished at a reasonable price from these fields; but the public, through the government, ought certainly to retain a wise control and Interest In these coal deposits, and I think It may do so safely if congress will authorise the granting of leases, as al­ ready suggested for government coal lands In the United States, with provl- slons forbidding the transfer of the leases except with the consent of the government, thus preventing their acqui­ sition by a combination or monopoly and upon limitations as to the area to be in­ cluded In any one lease to one individual, and at a certain moderate rental, with royalties upon the coal mined propor­ tioned to the market value of the coal either at Seattle or at San Francisco. Of course such leases should contain condi- tlons requiring the erection of proper plants, the proper development by mod­ ern mining methods of the properties leased, and the use of every known and practical means and device for saving the life of the miners. OH and Qaa Lands. In the last administration there were withdrawn from agricultural entry 2,820,- 000 acres of supposed oil land In Califor­ nia; about a million and a half acres in Louisiana, of which only 6,500 acres were known to be vacant unappropria­ ted land; 75,000 acres In Oregon and 174,- 000 acres in Wyoming, making a total of nearly 4,000,000 acres. In September, 19(H), 1 directed that all public oil lands, whether then withdrawn or not, ehould be withheld from disposition pending con­ gressional action, for the reason that the existing placer mining law, although made applicable to deposits of this char­ acter, Is not suitable to such lands, and for the further reason that it seemed de­ sirable to reserve certain fuel-oil deposits for the use ol the American navy. Ac­ cordingly the form of all existing with­ drawals was changed, and new with­ drawals aggregating 2,780,000 acres were made in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Field examinations during the year showed that of the original withdrawals, 2,170,- 000 acres were not valuable for oil, and they were restored for agricultural entry. Meantime, other withdrawals of public oil lands In these states were made, so that July 1, 1910, the outstanding with­ drawals then amounted to 4,560,000 acres. The needed oil and gas law is essential­ ly a leasing law. In their natural occur­ rence. oil and gas cannot be measured In terms of acres, like coal, and it follows that exclusive title to these products can normally be secured only after they reach the surface. Oil should be disposed of as a commodity In terms of barrels of transportable product rather than In acres of real estate. This Is, of course, the reason for the practically universal adoption of the leasing system wherever oil land Is in private ownership. The government thus would not be entering on an experiment, but simply putting Into effect a plan successfully operated In private contracts. Why should not the government as a landowner deal directly *Hth the oil producer rather than through the Intervention of a middleman to whom the government gives title to the land? The principal underlying feature of such legislation should be ttye exercise of beneficial control rather than the collec­ tion •*? revenue. As not only the largest owner of oil lands, but as a prospective large consumer of oil by reason of the Increasing use of fuel oil by the navy, the federal government is directly con­ cerned both in encouraging rational de­ velopment and at the same time Insuring the longest possible life to the oil sup­ ply. One of the difficulties presented, espe­ cially in the California fields, is that the Southern Pacific railroad owns every other section of" land In the oil field, and in those fields the oil seems to be in a common reservoir, or series of reser­ voirs, communicating through the oil sands, so that the excessive draining of oil at one well, or on the railroad terri­ tory generally, would exhaust the oil In the government land. Hence It Is Im­ portant that If the government is to have Its share of the oil It should begin the opening of wells on Its own property. It has been suggested, and I believe the suggestion to be a sound one, that per­ mits be Issued to a prospector for oil giving him the right to prospect for two years over a certain tract of government land for the discovery of oil, the right to be evidenced by a license for which he pays a small sum. When the oil Is dis­ covered. then he acquires title to a cer­ tain tract, much In the same way as he would acquire title under a mining law. Of course if the system of leasing Is adopted, then he would be given the benefit of a lease upon terms like that above suggested. What has been said In respect to oil applies also to government gas lands. Phosphate Lands. Phosphorus Is one of the three essen­ tials to plant growth, the other elements being nitrogen and potash. Of these three, phosphorus Is by all odds the scarcest element In nature. It Is easily extracted In useful form from the phos­ phate rock, and the United States con­ tains the greatest known deposits of this roclt In the world. They are found In Wyoming, Utah and Florida, as well as In South Carolina, Georgia and Tennes­ see. The government phosphate lands are confined to Wyoming. Utah and Florida. Prior to March 4, 1909, there were 4,000.000 acres withdrawn from agricultural entry in the ground that the land covered phos­ phate rock. Since that time, 2,322,000 acres of the land thus withdrawn was found not to contain phosphate in profitable quantities, while 1,678,000 acres was classi­ fied properly as phosphate lands. During this administration there has been with­ drawn and classified 437,000 acres, so that today there Is classified as phosphate rock land 2.115,000 acres. This rock is most important in the composition of fertilizers to improve the soli, and as the future is certain to create an enormous demand throughout this country for fertilization, the value to the public of such deposits as these can hardly be exaggerated. Cer­ tainly with respect to these deposits a careful policy of conservation should be followed. A law that would provide a leasing system for the phosphate depos­ its. together with a provision for the sep­ aration of the surface and mineral rights as Is already provided for In the case of coal, would seem to meet the need of promoting the development of these de­ posits and their utilization In the agri­ cultural lands of the west. If It rs thought desirable to discourage the expor­ tation of phosphate rock and the saving of It for our own lands, this purpose could be accomplished by conditions in the lease granted by the government to Its lessees. Of course, under the consti­ tution the government could not tax and could not prohibit the exportation if phosphate, but as proprietor and owner of the lands In which the phosphate Is deposited It could Impose conditions upon the kind of sales, whether foreign or do­ mestic, which the lessees might make of tho phosphate mined. Water-Power Sites. Prior to March 4, 1909, there had been, on the recommendation of the reclama­ tion service, withdrawn from agricultural entry, because they were regarded as useful for water-power sites which oi|ght not to be disposed of as agricultral lands, tracts amounting to about four million acres. The withdrawals were hastily made and included a great deal of land that was not useful for power sites. They were Intended to Include the power sites on 29 rivers In nine states. Since that time 8,478,442 acres have been *•> •tcrad for settlement of the original four million, because they do not contain pow­ er sites; and meantime there have bee's newly withdrawn 1,246,883 acres on vacant public land and 211,007 acres on entered public land, or a total of 1,4(6,89$ acres. These withdrawals made from time to time cover all the power sites included in the flrst withdrawals, and many more, on 135 rivers and in 11 states. The dispo­ sition of these power sites Involves one of the most difficult questions presented,- in carrying out practical conservation. The statute of 1891 with its amendments permits the secretary of the Interior to grant perpetual easements or rights of way from water sources over public lands for the primary purpose of irriga­ tion and such electrical current as may be incidentally developed, but no grant r^Ati h« Under talis tC COS- cerns whose primary purpose is gener­ ating and handling electricity. The stat­ ute of 1901 authorizes the secretary of the interior to Issue revocable permits over the public lands to electrical power companies, but this statute Is woefully in­ adequate because it does not authorize the collection of a charge or flx a term of years. Capital is slow to invest In an enterprise founded on a permit revocable at will. It Is the plain duty of the government to see to it that in the utilisation and de­ velopment of all this immense amount j of water power, conditions shall be izn- j posed that will prevent monopoly and ; will prevent extortionate charges, which j are the accompaniment of monopoly. The j difficulty of adjusting the matter is ac­ centuated by ths relation of the power j sites to the water, the fall and flow of j which create the power. In the states j where these sites are. the riparian own­ er does not control or own the power in the water which Slows pa»t his land. That power is under the control and with­ in the grant of the state, and generally the rule la that the first water user is en- INDEPENDENCE ON THE FARM SPLENDID RESULTS FOLLOW FARMING IN THE CANADIAN WEST. Americans In Canada Not A«k»d to Forget That They Were Born Americana. Farm produce today Is remunera­ tive, and this helps to make farm life agreeable. Those who are studying the economics of the day tell us that the strength of the nation lies In the cultivation of the soil. Farming la no longer a hand-to-mouth existence. It means independence, often affluence, but certainly independence. Calling at a farm house, near one of the numerous thriving towns of Al­ berta, in Western Canada, the writer was «:iven a definition of "Indepen­ dence" that was accepted as quite original. The broad acres of the farm­ er's land had a crop--and a Hplendid one, too, by the way--ripening for the reapers' work. The evenness of the crop, covering field after field, attract­ ed attention, as did also the neatness of the surroundings, the well-built sub- B'°T-and.a.balt log ho».e, .=d session of the bank or water-power site j the well-rounded sides of the cattle. r„ver..Z^^ i_he_ w^ter_la_to ,b^..c.c|nv^^t^ i Mia broken English--he was a French Canadian--was easily understandable In order to make the power useful, gives to its owner an advantage and a certain kind of control over the use of the water power, and It Is proposed that the govern­ ment in dealing with Its own lands should use this advantage and lease lands for power sites to those who would develop the power, and Impose conditions on the leasehold with reference to the reason­ ableness of the rates at which the power, when transmuted, Is to be furnished to the public, and forbidding the union of the particular power with a combination of other? made for the purpose of monop­ oly by forbidding assignment of the lease save by consent of the government. Serious difficulties are anticipated by some In such an attempt on the part of tho general government, because of the sovereign control of the state over the water power in Its natural condition, and the mere proprietorship of the govern­ ment in the riparian lands. It is con­ tended that through its mere proprietary rlfrht In the site, the central governmeut has no power to attempt to exorcise co­ lics jurisdiction with reference to how the water power in a river owned and controlled by the state shall be used, and that It Is a violation of the state's rights. I question the validity of this objection. The government may Impose any condi­ tions that It chooses In Its lease of its own property, even though It may have the same purpose, and in effect accom­ plish Just what the state would accom­ plish by the exercise of its .sovereignty. There are those (and the director of the geological survey, Mr. Smith, who has given a great deal of attention to this matter, is one of them) who Insist that this matter of transmuting water power Into electricity, which can be conveyed all over the country and across state lines, Is a matter that ought to be re­ tained by the general government, and that It should avail Itself of the owner­ ship of these power sites for the very purpose of co-ordinating In one general plan the power generated from these government owned sites. Arguments Agalnet Idea. On the other hand, it is contended that it would relieve a complicated situation If the control of the water-power site and the control of the water were vested In the same sovereignty and ownership, viz., the states, and then were disposed of for development to private lessees un­ der the restrictions needed to preserve the interests of the public from the extor­ tions and abuses of monopoly. Therefore, bills have been Introduced in congress providing that whenever the state au­ thorities deem a water power useful they may apply to the government of the United States for a grant to the state of the adjacent land for a water-power site, and that this grant from the fed­ eral government to the state shall con­ tain a condition that the state shall never part with the title to the water- power site or the water power, but shall lease it only for a term of years not ex­ ceeding ffty, with provisions in the lease by which the rental and the rates for which the power is furnished to the public shall be readjusted at periods less than the term of the lease, say, every ten years. The argument is urged against this disposition of power sites that legis­ lators and state authorities are more sub­ ject to corporate influence and control than would be the central government; In reply it is claimed that a readjustment of the terms of leasehold every ten years would secure to the public and the state Just and equitable terms. I do not express an opinion upon the controversy thus made or a preference as to the two methods of treating water- power sites. I shall submit the matter to congress and urge that one or the other of the two plans be adopted. I have referred to the course mt tae last administration and of the pres<ni one In making withdrawals of governrnr**e lands from entry under homestead ajf£ other laws and of congress In remoffiXfr all doubt as to the validity of thes» *rith« drawals as a great step in the ^Ivection and pleasant to listen to. He bad come there from Montreal a year ago, had paid $20 an acre for the 320-acre farm, with the little improvement It had. He had never farmed before, yet his crop was excellent, giving evi­ dence as to the quality of the soil, and the good judgment that had been used in its preparation. And brains count In farming as well as "braw." Asked how he liked it there, he straightened his broad shoulders, and with hand outstretched towards the waving fields of grain, this young French Canadian, model of symmetrical build, replied: "Be gosh, yes, we like him--the farmln'--well, don't we, Jeannette?" as he smilingly turned to the young wife standing near. She had accom­ panied him from Montreal to his far- west home, to assist him by her wifely help and companionship, in making a new home in this new land. "Yes, we come here wan year ago, and we never farm before. Near Montreal, me father, he kep de gris' mill, an' de cardln' mill, an' be gosh! he run de cheese factor' too. He work, an' me work, an' us work tarn har', be gosh! Us work for de farmer; well 'den, sometln' go not always w'at you call RANG THE BELL, ALL RIGHT Estimate of Yield ol Wheat Is Western Canada for 1910 More Than One Hundred Million Bushel*. de' right, an' de farmer he say de' mean t'ing, be gosh! and tell us go to --well, anyway he tarn mad. Now," and then he waved his hand again towards the fields, "I 'ave no bodder, no cardin' mill, no grls' mill, no cheese factor'. I am now de farmer mpn an' when me want to, me can say to de oder fellow! you go--! Well, we like hiifri--the farmln'." And that was a good definition of independence. Throughout a trip of several hun­ dred UJlies in the agricultural district it Western Canada, the writer found the farmers In excellent splritB, an optliulstlc feeling being prevalent everywhere. It will be interesting to the thousands on the American side of the line to know that their rela- of practical conservation. But !• I* only i and friends are doing well there, one of two necessary steps to ef^i*t what ] that they have made their home In a should be our purpose. It has produced a status quo and prevented waS*> and Ir­ revocable disposition of the t?wfls until the method for their proper &Sposlt!on can be formulated. But It 11 <rt the ut­ most importance that such withdrawals should not be regarded as t^s final step In the course of conservation, and that the Idea should not be alloryyt to spread that conservation Is the ty7*\g up of the n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s o f t h e r ^ v e r n m e n t f o r Indefinite withholding fro*T> use and the remission to remote generations to decide what ought to be done Wl*.h these means of promoting present gen-Wul human com­ fort and progress. For, ** so, It Is certain to arouse the greatest /opposition to con­ servation as a cause, if It were a correct expression of ttH purpose of con­ servationists It ought lo arouse this op­ position. As I have s»M elsewhere, the problem is how to sari and how to util­ ize. how to conserve *nd still develop: for no sane person ca»* nontend that It Is for the common good <hat nature's blese- lngs should be stored only for unborn generations. I beg of you, thereft.«re. In your delib­ erations and In your lrJormal discussions, when men come forward to suggest evil-l that the promotion of conservation la te remedy, that you Incite them to point out the specific evils and the specific remedies; that you lnrlte them to come down to details in ordrr that their discus­ sions may flow into cUVnels that shall be useful rather than Into periods that shall be eloquent and ent#rtalnlng, without shedding real light on the subject. The people should be shown exactly what Is needed In order that they make their representatives in congress and the state legislature do their intelligent bidding. Ho Was Mistaken. "This country would be all right." the traveler in a heathen land, "but It isn't civilized." "That's where you go lame, stran- rejoined the native. "Two per rcent. of i the population owns 90 per r«*nt. Of the land. What more civlllza- do yon want?" A Pull Somewhere. He--So you ftoished the novel 1 ,bn>ught you. How did it come out? She--The author must have had a cant eee any other way 8he Was Settled. Mrs. Uppson--I don't want another giddy girl. Can't you get me a settled woman? Employment Agent--I think I can, ma'am. I know of one who has had Ave husbands, and doesn't want any more. A Pleasant Memory. The veteran pulled at his pfpfe and stared thoughtfully into the glowing embers. "Yes," he said, "we made th# enemy run that day. But, th«n% heaven, they didn't catch m Different Matter. Pretty Daughter--But, papa, 1 don't see why you should be so down on Harold. He Is willing to die for me. Papa--Oh, well, I don't object to hla doing that. I thought he wanted to marry you. Yellow. Friend--I suppose there la a great deal of money in contributing to the leading magazine? Author--Yes, but there's a greet deal more In contributing to the misleading one*.--Puck. No Comparison. The portly dame in the hack seat cf the hotel back waxed Impatient "He's the slowest driver I ever •aw!" she exclaimed. "That only shows, ma'am," said the Imperturbable jebu, speaking lo bis own behalf, "that you've never seen a pile driver at work." Never Gan Live It Down. "They say she la a woman with a past." "Tea. Once in a game of bridge she (ailed to play the heart convention." Behind the Tlmea. Lettice Denby--But this la so sud­ den! Uppen Dewing--Sudden! It's near­ ly two weeks! Young lady, don't you know that the modern, up-to-date, Robert W. Chalmers period of court* ship is only two minutes? country that stands up so splendidly under what has been trying conditions In munt of the northwestern part of the farming districts of the continent. With the exception of some portions of Southern Alberta, and also a por­ tion of Manitoba and Southern Sas­ katchewan the grain crops could be described as fair, good and excellent. The same drought that affected North and South Dakota, Montana, Minne­ sota, Wisconsin and other of the northern central states extended over Into a portion of Canada just men­ tioned. But in these portions the crops for the past four or five years were splendid and the yields good. The groat province of Saskatchewan has suffered less from drought In pro­ portion to her area under cultivation than either of the other provinces. On the other hand, Instead of the drought being confined very largely to the south of the main line of the C. P. R. it is to be found In patches right through the center of northern Sas­ katchewan also. In spite of this, how­ ever, Saskatchewan has a splendid crop. A careful checking of the aver­ ages of yield, with the acreages in the different districts, gives an average yield of 16 V4 bushels to the acre. In Southern Alberta one-fifth of the winter wheat will not be cut, or has been re-sown to feed. There are ' dividual crops which will run as high as 45 bushels on acres of 500 a#& 1,006 acres, but there are others which will drop as low as 15. A safe average for winter wheat will be 19 bushels. The sample is exceptionally fine, excepting in a few cases where It has been wrin­ kled by extreme heat. The northern section of Alberta has been naturally anxious to Impress the world with the fact that It has not suffered from drought, and this is quite true. Wheat crops run from 20 to 30 bushels to an acre, but In a report such as this It Is really only possible to deal with the province as a ™'hcls and while the estimate may seem very low to the people of Alberta. It Is fair to the province throughout. When the very light rainfall and other eccentricities of the past season are taken into account, it seems noth­ ing short of a miracle that the Cana­ dian West should have produced 102 million bushels of wheat, which Is less than IS million bushels short of the crop of 1909. It is for the West generally a paying crop and perhaps the best advertisement the country has ever had, as it shows that no mat­ ter how dry the year, with thorough tillage, good seed and proper methods of conserving the moisture, a crop can always be produced. As some evidence of the feeling of the farmers, are submitted letters written by farmers but a few days ago, and they offer the best proof that can be given. Maidstone, Sask., Aug. 4, *10. I came to Maidstone from Menomi­ nee, Wis., four years ago, with my parents and two brothers. We all lo­ cated homesteads at that time and now have our patents. The soil is a rich black loam as good as I have ever seen. We have had good crops each year and in 1909 they were exceeding­ ly good. Wheat yielding from 22 to 40 bushels per acre and oats from 40 to 80. We are well pleased with the country and do not care to return to our native state. I certainly believe that Saskatchewan la Just the place for a hustler to get a start and make himself a home. Wages here for farm labor range from $35 to $45 per month. Lee Dow. Tofield, Alberta, July 10, 1910. I am a native of Texas, the largest and one of the very best states of the Union. I have been here three years and have not one desire to return to the States to live. There is no place I know of that offers such splendid inducements for capital, brain and brawn. I would like to say to all who are not satisfied where you are, make a trip to Western Canada; If you do not like It you will feel well repaid for your trip. Take this from one who's on the ground. We enjoy splen­ did government, laws, school, railway facilities, health, and last, but not least, an Ideal climate, and this from a Texan. O. L. Pughs. James Normur of Porter, Wisconsin, after visiting Dauphin, Manitoba, says: "I have been in Wisconsin 25 years, coming out from Norway. Never have I seen better land and the crops in East Dauphin are better than I have ever seen, especially the oats. There Is more straw and It has heav­ ier heads than ours in Wisconsin. "This is Just the kind of land we are looking for. We are all used to mixed farming and the land we have seen is finely adapted to that Bort of work. Cattle, hogs, horses and grain will be my products, and for the live stock, prospects could not be better. I have never seen such cattle as are raised here on the wild prairie "grasses and the vetch that stands three or four feet high in the groves and on the open prairie. Sir Wilfred Laurler Talks to Amer­ icans. Sir Wilfred Laurler, Premier of Canada, is now making a tour of Western Canada and in the course of his tour he has visited many of the districts in which Americans have set­ tled. He expresses himself as highly pleased with tham. At Craig, Sas­ katchewan. the American settlers joined with the others In an address of welcome. In replying Sir Wilfred said in part: "I understand that mauy of you have come from the great Republic to the south of us--a land which Is akin to us by blood and tradition. I hope that in coming from a free coun­ try you realise that you come also to another free country, and that al­ though you came from a »apubllc you have come to what is a crowned domocracy. The King, our sovereign, has perhaps not so many powers as thn President of the United States, but whether we are on the one side of the line or the other, we are all brothers by blood, by kinship, by ties of relationship. In coming here as you have come and becoming natural­ ized citizens of this country no one de­ sires you to forget the land of your ancestors. It would be a poor man who would not always have in his heart a fond affection for the land which he came from. The two greatest countries today are certainly the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Republic of the Unit­ ed States. Let them be united to­ gether and the peace of the world will be forever assured. "I hope that In coming her* as you have, you have found llbertj, justice and equality of rights. In this coun­ try, as in your own, you know nothing of separation of creed and race, for you are all Canadians here. And II I may express a wish It is that you would become aa good Canadians as you have been good Americans and that you may yet remain good Amer­ icans. We do not want you to forget what you have been; but we want you to look more to the future than to tho past. Let me, before we part, tender you the sincere expression of my warmest gratitude for your reception." 8lgn of Quality. I'm sure that there Is some dorful quality in my daughter's voice." "What makes you think BO?*' "None of the neighbors have o!> Jocted to har practising " Serving Two Masters. "Can a man serve two masters?" exclaimed John M. Callahan, candi­ date for the Democratic nomination ! for secretary of state, at a meeting In Eagles' hall the other night. "I say he cannot, and that reminds me of the answer I got from an Irish friend of mine when I asked him the same question. "Kin a man serve two masters, is ut," says my Irish friend. "Ol only knowed wan man that could do ut, and in the ind tney sent him to Jail t«r bigamy!"--Milwaukee Wisconsin. The Right Way. William Muldoon, the noted trainer* was talkln, apropos oT the Jeffries- Johnson fight, of training. "In training," he said, "the strictest obedience is required. Whenever I think of the theory of training I think of Dash, who, after 18 years of mar­ ried life, is one of the best and hap­ piest husbands In the world. " 'Dash.' I once said to him, *w«ll. Dash, old man, how do you take mar­ ried life?' " 'According to directions,' ho r*> plied."