The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-02
COAL LANDS AN ISSUE IN 1908.
WILL ROOSEVELT ADVOCATE
NATIONAL OF NERsHEP?
lie sIas AIrcaay Withdrawn From Entry
All Public Lands COntainIns Coal WIN
He Now Go Further7-piank for the
Next Republican National Plat Orm.

contain a plank that will give rise to con-
Siderable discussion in the contest OF that
year. President Roosevelt has already
faken the initial ~steps-cnt the timber, as
&c vore-aud the trimming and planning
viii he dore in the next year OF 30.
This new issue involves the Presidents
act on in directing that public lands contain
ing coal be " ithdrawn from entry. The
next step, il is expected, will be Of a more
radical nature.
There is good reason TO believe that the
President coEtemplates securing authority
from Congress to enable the Government
70 ret,sn permanent control over all coal
lands, that is, coal lands in the public domain
that have not passed to private or corporate
ownership. He may possibly extend his
policy 20 cover oil lands, but this point has
not been determined.
10 carry out his views TO the fullest degree
IT will be necessary to provide by law that
no patents in fec simple shall in the future
hs iss,isd covering lands shown by test to
be underiaid with coal. The working OF
these deposits would be lone by private
parties or corporations under leases granted
by the Government, which would charge
the lessees for the privilege. Throughout
Europe title to all mineral lands is vested
in the Government, which never sells such
property outright but gets a comfortable
income from leases.
One thing that worries Administration
advocates OF the new proposition is that
Senator La Toilette has already taken 1t up
and is standing sponsor for it. Mr.. La Fol-
lette's influence in the Senate virtually
amounts to nothing, and it is feared that his
support of the proposed legislation will
-rs.,ns. r,.r., ~, .,,II otkAwry,aa ha hill
ing to support the Administrators ideas.
4 considerable number OF Senators and
Representatives would hesitate 70 follow
la Follette's lead because they believe that
he would seek to make personal political
capital out Of that leadership and would be
encouraged to embark on a course even
more radical than he has pursued in the
short period he has been a Senator.
\ few years ago, when a pal famine was
threatened that might have been productive
Of great misery and hardship throughout
rhe country, the President began to study
the fuel resources of the United States.
lie came to the conclusion, it is understood,
that as far as possible the Government
should be placed in q position where it could
protect the people in the event that their
coal supply was again threatened by strikes
or otherwise.
He caused Investigations to be made by
competent experts, and it was reported to
him that there remained in the public do
main about 80, OCo ,OCO acres of land on which
workable coal is known to occur. These
lands are situated in the States Of North
Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming,
Colorado, Utah, Oregon and Washing ton,
and in the Territory Of New Mexico.
In addition the. e are valuable deposits
of coal on reservation lands in the Indian
Territory which the Government may con-
troll indefinitely il it elects. These lands
are now held by the Indians, who are seek
fng to have all Testr lotions as to alienation
removed. 1t is the belief here that if such
rest lotions were removed all the valuable
coal DEPOSITS in the Indian Territory would
soon come into the possession Of a close
corporation that is now operating there.
At present the lands are leased subject
10 the approval Of the Secretary Of the
Int ior. In his plans to insure Govern
ment control OF supervision over coal lands
TIA are not held by private persons or
Corpo ations, the President i'll undoubtedly
see to it, as far as he can, that nothing shall
be lone that will make possible the transfer
of the Territorial coal lands to private
ownc ship.
AS 1dv as DuDIC lanQB COuLhIhiuk COdl diC
concerned. the President believes in Gov
eminent ownership. While he will let the
lawmakers work out their own scheme to
conserve coal lands for the benefit OF the
whole people, II is understood that he will
~eazEcst the leasing system. which has been
one ated successfully with coal and oil
lands in the Southwest Territories.
The Indians are at liberty 10 make leases
.-..I ---,-ntfopa m UnTly for nal or oil.
but such leases, 70 be effective, must have
the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.
Each lessee is restricted 70 about $500 acres.
This has prevented to a considerable ex-
tent tie formation Of combinations TO oon-
trrl the coal and oil in the Territories, al
:hough charges nave repeatedly been made
that the regulations of the Secretary OF
The Interior hav e been evaded or openly
violted.
In rea hing the conclusion that the time
had &C ne VIXEN TIE Government should no
.onrer part with lands known TO contain
workable coal, President Roosevelt had
two objects in view. First, he wanted TO
conserve the fuel resources, and second,
he wanted to avert the menace of a proba-
bic shortage in the supply from time to
time, as in the case OF strikes.
That is the explanation given by the
officials here Of his attitude toward this
auesti n. On the other hand there are
many people who profess 70 see in the
Presidents views on this subject a fore
runner Of a declaration in favor OF Govern
Tnent control Of all Goa lands in the United
SITES.
II he believes in government ownership
Of coal lands, they ask, why not oil LANDS,
and so on down the line. b probability
that public ownership Of coal lands Will
become an ISSUE in the national campaign
Of 1913 has been discussed by politicians in
Washington.
The President has expressed himself
in unn istakable terms on several occasions
u opposition TO any scheme that hes for
IS purpose the sale OF coal lands in Indian
reservations. In his special message to
Congress transmitting the report Of the
Commissioner OF Corporations in regard
TO the s andard Oil Company. he said!
The time has come when no oil or coal