Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1909-05-26
new VALUATION
OF COAL LANDS
UNDER THE CLASSIFICATION RE-
VlSED IN APRIL.
Secretary BaIlinger Broadens the Pol
icy of Selling at Coal Values.

United States geological survey is
placing even greater emphasis this
year upon its work of classifying and
valuing the public coal lands. The
national policy of promoting the most
advantageous disposal of the public
lands is continued under Secretary
Ballinger and by his instructions the
director of the survey is transmitting
to the commissioner of the general
land office land classifications based
upon the reports of findings of the
field biologists To the fullest extent
possible, under the law, the effort is to
secure the wisest utilization of the re-
sources of the public domain.
Recently enacted legislation gives to
the agricultural entryman whose en-
try was made prior to the passage of
the act. the privileges of electing to
take the surface rights, while the coal
rights are reserved for future and sep
arate disposition. The chief of the
Denver field division of the general
land office reports that from informa-
ton received in his office. 80 per cent
of the Colorado entrymen in areas sup
posed to contain coal will elect to take
title to the surface. reserving to the
United States the coal rights. This
alone indicates the value and wisdom
of this legislation. which is the first
important amendment of the coal land
act along the lines urged by Mr.. Bal
linger in 1907, when commissioner of
the general land office.
If the entryman, on the other hand,
chooses to contest, then the issue be-
comes one of relative worth between
agricultural and coal values. In a re-
port to Secretary Ballinger. the direc-
tor of the survey stated that in the
case of the North Dakota lands. to
which this act was supposed to be
specially applicable, while all western
North Dakota, part of which had
been withdrawn as coal lands. is be-
lieved by the biologists of the survey
to be actually underlain by workable
deposits of Ignite, yet in all but fifty
four townships. this area is conceded
to be at present more valuable for ag-
ricultural purposes than for it's depos-
its of low grade coal.
The regulations for the classified
ton and valuation of the government
tOcA lciiuos Dc iENlStu app II. BlONiut
for a somewhat more discriminating
separation of the coal and non-coal
lands. and for the fixing of more ade-
quate valuations upon lands underlain
by the higher grades of coal. These
changes were determined upon by the
secretary of the interior from the con-
sideration Of present conditions in coal
mining in the western states, where
thinner and deeper beds are being
mined than was formerly the case. and
of current practice in the matter of
coal royalties collected both by the
states and by private landowners.
Two of the regulations indicate the
spirit Of these administrative meas
ures for safeguarding the disposal Of
the nations remaining coal lands. The
prices of coal land containing the low
est grade bituminous coal or lignites
is fixed at the minimum provided by
law. the intent being to thus encour-
age, so far as the law permits. the i'm
mediate utilization of these low grade
fuels. Another rule states that in all
valuations Of coal-beds, any special
condition enhancing the value of the
land for coal mining purposes shall be
taken into consideration.
The revised scheme used in the val
uation of the coal lands differs from
that formerly in force in two general
respects. The basis is now specifical-
ly that of coal tonnage and the land
prices thus determined for the better
grades of coal, anthracite and coking-
bituminous. are somewhat higher, the
maximum being raised from 800 to
$500 per acre, and. indeed, this maxi
mum does not hold in districts which
contain large coal mines where the
character and extent of the coal de-
posits are well known to the pur-
chaser"
The plan of valuing the public coal
lands by accurate determination of
coal quality and tonnage is the most
equitable possible, and while adequate
returns are secured to the government,
the land prices thus fixed rarely
amount to one-fourth of the royalties
prevailing in the same districts among
private interests.
The present scheme of valuation is
as follows: Anthracite and coking-
bituminous Goals are valued at two to
three cents "a ton; high-grade non
coking bituminous Goals are valued at
one to two cent ton; high-gr sub
bituminOus and lowg grade bituminous
Goals are valued at One-half to one
cent a ton; low grade -bituminous
Goals and lignites are valued at the
minimum price fixed by law of SO
and $40 an acre. The tonnage is very
conseFvatively estimated and actual
recovery ought always to exceed the
tonnage upon which the valuation is
based
A few instances are cited as show
ing the comparative working out of
valuations under the different land
policies. In one township near Rock
Springs. Wyo., liberalization of which
has just been completed by the geo.
logical survey, the coal land values ag-
gregate $500 900, on the basis of one
cent a ton. The amount for which the
government would have sold these
lands on the basis of the minimum
price allowed by law, under the in
depreciation which held prior to 1906.
is 100000; while under the valuation
plan of last year, the amount would
have been a little less than $1,000. 900.
In a Montana township. near the
town of Roundup. on the new line of
the Milwaukee, the original amount
which the government would have re-
ceived under the 500 minimum rate