The Washington times., 1906-04-02
COAL LANDS FIGHT
AGAIN TAKEN UP
White House Conference on
Railroad Grab Plans.
PRESIDENT TO LEND AID
Senator La Toilette Is Confident of Pre-
serving Control of Indian Ter
ritory Fields.
PRESIDENT LEND AID

The fight for the preservation of the
great Indian Territory coal fields from
the clutches of the Rock Island and
Missouri. Kansas and Texas railroad
companies has been carried once more
to the White House. The measure has
been to conference. the conference
agreed. and then the Senate sent Ii
back to the conference because 1t con-
sidered they had violated the legisla
tive proprieties- The conferees had
killed provision. relating to the maxi
ing up Of the citizenship rolls of the
tribes. on which both House and Sem
ate agreed. and substituted ore of their
own making. This was made the oc-
casion for a sharp attack in the Senate
when the report came up, and the bill
was finally sent back to the conferees.
Senator La Toilette. who has taken a
leading part from the beginning, with
the support of Teller, Tillman and some
other Democrats. In the effort to defeat
the alleged plan of the railroads, went
to the White House yesterday and had
a long discussion of the matter with
the President. 1t was learned that the
PRESIDENT agreed decidedly with him,
that there must be no provision by
which the railroads may. under the title
" AOA6 ANdSCSB SGT COlllIOl VI lIllS nGlQ-
This greatly encouraged the wisconsin
Senator. and he Is prepared TO reopen
his fight whenever the conference re-
port is brought up again.
Setback for Lobbyists.
The Developments of the coal strike
situation have been most untimely for
the projects OF the gentlemen who have
been lobbying on this legislation. OF
these there has been a multitude, in
cluding distinguished former Senator'S.
presidents and general counselors OF
railroads. officials. attorneys. etc. On
the other side has been a great body
of observation-disclosures and their law
yers. settlers in the Territory, individ-
ually and In committees; owners of
leases for lands which cannot be de-
veleped because the railroads, as it is
charged, will not give them connections
and cars; and, In short, all the array of
interests that would naturally be op-
posed to such legislation These have
vigorously urged that. with a great
coal strike impending, which is already
causing radical folk TO inquire whether
TIE Government ought not to take
over the mines. il would be poor busi-
iiess for the Congress to place a great
ceal field in the control Of the railroads.
Price Up, Royalty Down.
In this connection there is criticism
of some acts of the Interior Depart
ment. The law of lSso provided that
the price OF coal from these mines
should not be raised without the ap-
proval of the Secretary O. the Interior.
At that time the price at the mines
was s1.22 to s1-S4 per ton. Yet the price
has gone Up until now it is s1.s2 at the
mines, and this. 1t is alleged, without
any approval of the Secretary. The law
of 1898. the Curtis act, abrogated a lot
of old leases and among other things
provided that under the new leases the
royalty should be 10 cents per ton;
but il was added that at any time the
Secretary Of the Interior might. il &c
seemed best in the interest OF the IN
dians," reduce this royalty. Under tpis
provision the royalty has been goIr &
down until it is now only cents
This spectacle of the royalty going
down while the market price went up
in the interest of the Indians"-has
been the subject of some sharp COM
ment, and will be the theme OF more
when The bill again gets before the
Senate.