194 AMERICAN FORKSTRY 



efifort. The iuvestigation of violations of the public land laws and prosecution 

 of land frauds have gone far toward calling a halt upon the reckless pro- 

 cedure in the past. The withdrawal of coal lands for proper classification 

 and valuation and the withholding of power sites for the time being opens the 

 way to effective action and results. Within the past year the withdrawal 

 of power sites has been ai)]tlied to one hundred and two streams or two 

 hundred and twenty-nine per cent more than were covered by previous with- 

 drawals. 



The statutes relating to the disposition of the precious metals and lands 

 strictly agricultural are accepted as well adapted to the purpose, but are 

 not suited to existing best public opinion as to the disposition of public lands 

 to private ownershij) and to prevent monopoly or improper use of these 

 lands or their products. One of the chief causes of the reckless disposition 

 of the public domain in the past has been the lack of classification according 

 to value or use. The U. S. Geological Survey, which has long been in the 

 official contact with the public domain from a scientific and economic view- 

 point, after years of exploration, investigation, survey and mapping by expert 

 employees in these respective branches without going further })ossesses a vast 

 quantity of collected and digested material and applied information. It has 

 the equipment office and field to enable it to promptly extend its operations 

 along up to date lines of public opinion and interest in the conservation of 

 our natural resources. The disposition of agricultural lands as such reserving 

 for different ownership or regulation the coal, oil, asphaltum, natural gas, 

 phosi)hate or any other ntm-precious metallic substances is the motive of 

 public policy now proposed. The separation of the title to the surface and 

 the title to mining privileges beneath with the right to use so much of the 

 surface as may be reciuired to operate the subterranean mineral deposits 

 presents a proposition which, it is thought, will compass the exigency of the 

 new situation. To accomplish this and it is proposed in the future to utilize 

 the land laws as the}' stand for the disposition of agricultural lands and 

 the coal, iron or other minerals beneath to be disposed of by lease or royalty 

 and requiring a fixed amount of development each year with special pro- 

 visions to prevent monopoly. A duplex system of this character applied to 

 the public lands possessing much novelty may be reached by laws at first 

 experimental and subject to improvement as practical working suggests. The 

 adojttion of a system apj)liable to the valuable water j)ower sites in all the 

 public land states presents dilliculties arising out of local sovereignity as 

 affected by territorial governments becoming states. As the power in streams 

 passing through public lands can only be made available by using the lands 

 adjacent for the construction of plants for the generation of power and 

 right of way for the transmission of lines, legislation should be asked imposing 

 such conditions in the disposition of lands so situated as may be necessary 

 both in the creation and utilization of the power. It will be seen the question 

 of conservation of our naural resources as a sentiment or abstract proposition 

 and as an aggressive policy sui)ported by the people along i»ractical lines 

 presents opposite conditicms. To accomi)lish the latter interchange of views 

 and associated effort will prepare the way to the accomplishment of definite 

 results, which can be attained through national legislation. 



