, 1906-12-31
SOLUTION FOR A KNoTTY
QUESTION

papers in northern Is INC
Cody Stockgrower and Farmer. Editor
| Calkins gives much attention to his
editorial page and the ..ght of expert
ence shines out through it from week
to week. He has Travelled considerably
in his time and has been a close OBJ
server of men and methods. In his
current number he offsrs a solution OF
the coal land problem that may be
found of value by the solons at Wash
ington. He says:
From present appearances it is evil
dent that there is likely to be a great
difference of opinion in reference to
the changes in the coal land laws pro
posed at this session of congress.
"All thoughtful men must admit that
the president is right when he says;
" The present coal law limiting the
individual entry to 100 acres puts a
premium on fraud by making it impos-
sible to develop certain types of coal
fields and yet comply with the law.
1t is a scandal to maintain laws which
sound well, but which make fraud the
key without which great natural re-
sources must remain closed. The law
should give individuals and corpora
lions under proper government regu'
~lation and control (the details of which
| shall not at present d~iscuss) the right
to work bodies of coal land large
enough for profitable Development
"As a remedy for this evil the presi
dent suggests a lease law in the case
of coal, oil and gas land.
such a law will meet with consider
able opposition in congress. 1t is I'M
derstood that Congressman Mondell,
who has given much thought to the
subject, is opposed TO an executive
lease law.
1T seems to the writer that a com
promise might be arrived at which
would enable individuals or corpora
| tons to honestly secure a sufficient
acreage of coal and to warrant the in
stallation of a plant sufficiently large
to insure the working of coal in the
most economical manner, and at the
same time prevent the holding of large
bodies of coal for speculative purposes
or to bar competing companies from
developing 1t.
Let the law provide for two meth
DDS of acquiring title to coal lands, Civ
ing applicants their preference.
First a leasing system, along the
lines proposed by the president.
Second, direct sale of coal lands, the
acreage to be determined by the
amount Of capital invested by the
claimant in machinery for working the
vein.
ITO illustrate: If an individual or
company agrees to invest ten thousand
dollars in a coal plant allow them to
file upon a certain number of acres,
and if they actually invest the proposed
capital within a specified period and
pay the required sum per acre for the
land, give them a patent therefor. If
they propose to invest a quarter of a
million, or half million, or any other
amount, then increase the number OF
acres which they are allowed to pur-
chase in proportion TO the capital in
vested.
IF they fail to invest the amount
proposed within the time allowed by
law, let their filing be cancelled and
the land revert to the government.
In either case no one could afford
to hold land for speculative purposes,
and an applicant could acquire a work
ing right or absolute title, at his op.
ton, to sufficient acreage to warrant
the installation of a plant for the eco
nomical working of the coal deposit,
and do it honestly and legally.
This idea was suggested to the writ
err by having personally observed the
working of a similar law in New Yea
land, while there a few years ago. In
that country ali public land is open to
direct purchase after a certain term oil
settlement, or to lease for 999 years,
at the option of the entryman.
q" That country is best governed
which is least governed" is an old ad-
age which contains much truth. Where
people are allowed to choose between
two or more methods OF doing things
they feel less restraint than where they
are confined to but one method.
THE law above outlined would per
nit great freedom OF action and yet
safeguard the government and protect
the honest coal entryman, providing
the details were properly worked out"
That's It'll
Cough yourself into a fit of spasms