Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-10-25

away, anu tudo - az O Ro0AN -
fix the wholesale, and, in many
cases, the retail price of the kind
of coal obtained from its mines.
There is reason to believe the bril-
gand methods charged against the
Union Pacific have been the subject
of recent conferences at the White
House between President Roosevelt
and Secretary Hitchcock. 1t was
suggested that the withdrawal OF
the coal lands from entry would
arrest fraudulent practices. This
result has followed, but the Presi-
dent is not satisfied.
What he wants is to have annull-
ed the patents to mineral, includ-
ing coal lands, alleged to have been
fraudulently obtained by the Union
Pacific. and this brings up the
question whether other land grant
railroads have not secured fraudu-
lent patents. 1t is understood the
subject is being Investigated by
agents Of the department of the in
terror, and it is expected other
roads than the Union Pacific will
be prosecuted if similar frauds are
shown to have occurred.
President Roosevelt issued last
summer an order withdrawing from
entry coal lands in a number OF
western states. 1t has been found
that some of the lands were agri-
cultural, and, to prevent their being
withheld from the people, Secretary
Hitchcock issued another order to-
day directing the Commissioners OF
the General Land Office to segre-
i gate coal lands in North Dakota,
Wyoming, which includes the Rock
Springs section, Utah, Colorado,
Montana, Washington and New
Mexico.
1t is estimated in the states
named there are about 100, 00C
square miles of coal lands, Montana
b being credited with $4,000, NORTH
Dakota with %, 62O, Wyoming with
10, 500, Colorado with l8, 500, Utaf
with 1000, and New Mexico will
$500. The director of the geological
survey has sent eight parties OF &c
ologists into western coal regions
with instructions to report upon the
extent, character, value, and ascer
tain location of the coal fields at
fected by the order of withdraw
al.
The investigation of these par
ties will enable the government t
restore to entry any agriculture
lands which may be discovers
within the coal area. The partie
will also report upon any land
which have been taken up by ind
viduals as agricultural, but whic
are being worked for the coal the
contain. The geological survey es
, Inmates that about two-thirds of tn
whole area of coal land in the gres
west has been entered, much of
fraudulently. If possible, fraudr
f, lent entries will be cancelled an
the land restored to the govern
ment.
I President Roosevelt is taking
Il deep interest III this subject, be
, cause he wants to put the people
} a position to work their own CO
mines, in the event OF such anoth'
/ strike as that which occurred
9 1908. AS soon as the governmei
y has completed the location of co
I lands withdrawn from entry thu
/ will be leased to individuals at
, price which will insure the COVER
u ment obtaining a reasonable pc
centage of the value of their pr
&c duct. This lease will not be pc
IL manent, under the decision tn
&c far reached, but will contain pr
az vision which will enable the GO
I eminent to step in and operate I
IN mines if il deems it advisable to
~ so.