The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-05-25

than LOT lts deposits or t0wfHrnde
coal.
The regulations for the classlfIca-
tion and valuation OF the Government
coal lands as revised In April provide
for a somewhat more discriminating
separation OF the coal aud non.cOal
lands and for the fixing OF more AIDE.
quate valuations upon lands UNDER
lain by the higher grades OF coal,
These changes were determined upon
BY The secretary OF the interior from
the consideration Of present condl
lions IN coal mining In the Western
states. whore thinner and deeper
beds are being mined than was for
merly the case, and OF current prac.
tico In the matter Of coal royalties
collected both By the states and BY
private land owners Two OF the
regulations indicate the spirit OF
these administrative measures for
safeguarding the disposal Of the na.
TONS remaining coal lands. The
price OF coal land containing the
lowest grade bituminous coal OF lig
mites Is fixed at the minimum pro
ylded By law, the intent being 10 thus
encourage, SO far MS the law permits,
the Immediate utilization Of these
low grade fuels. Another rule states
than hi 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 Ia the
valuation Of the coal lands differs
from that formerly Ia force In two
general respects The basis Is now
specifically that OF coal tonnage and
The land prices llhus determined fer
the better grades OF coal, gnthraclte
ANA coklng blteumlnous, are some
what higher the maximum being
raised from Si00 to $500 per acre.
and indeed this maximum does not
hold In districts" which contain
large coal mines where the character
and extent Of the coal deposits are
well known to the purchaser"
The plan OF yaluing the public coal
lands by accurate determination OF
c0al quality and tonnage Is the most |
equitable possible. and while ado
quaio returns are secured to the
Government the hand prices thus
fixed rarely amount TO one-fourth Of
ite royalties prevailing IN the same /
districts among private interests
The present scheme OF valuation IS
as follows. Anthracite and eoMng /
Goals are valued at 9 iol
cents a ton High grade n0n-eok |
Ing bltumn0us Goals are -valned al
cent 10 cents ton. High grade |
auh-bluminous and low grade hiium
in0ua GOALS are valued at Is cent 90
] cent ton. Low grade sub.bItum
in0us Goals and lgnlles are valued /
at the minimum price fixed by law
of $40 and $40 an acre. The ton
mage Is very cOnservatively estl
mated AMI actual recovery ought al
ways to exceed the tonnage upon
which the valuation IN based
A few instances are cited as show (
Ing lae comparative working ont OF !
valuations under the different land
policies. IN one township near Rock I
Springs. wyoming, the valuation OF
which has just been completed by
the Geological Survey, the coal land
values aggregate $2S00.000,. on the
basis Of ] cent ton. The amount
for which the Government would have
sold these lands on the basis Of the
minimum price allowed hy law, un-
der the Interpretation which held
prior 70 1906 is 100000 while under
the valuation plan OF last year the (
amount would have been q little less
than sl000.OOO.
IN q Montana township near the
town Of Roundup, on the new line Of
the Milwaukee the original amount
which the Government would have
received under the SEQ minimum
rate was $4,000; under the regula-
lions Of last year, Sl4t 900: and IN.
der the present valuation scheme
adopted April 2l. by this admlnistra.
tion. $4,000 some Of the coal being
now valued at SOS an acre where 500
and s26 respectively would have heen
the former rates.
Near the great caallega4a coal
field IN Utah. the Survey IS now valu-
ing some o. the Government land
containing thick beds Of eoking coal.
IN this field thousands Of acres
would run over the maximum Of $500
an acre. as opposed to the $50 min
lmum price and S75 under the FOR
mer valuation scheme. Dozens 0l
either equally striking Instances Of
comparative valuations might be
cited.
The conservatism Of even the pres.
eHt valuation plan Is clearly shown
from an examination Of the records
In several cases where land was
sfahdulenlly entered hy certain com.
pauleB and IN which suit for recovery
Of land Gnd danlages was instituted
by lihe Government In one instance
o. this klnd coal company secured
o tract Of land through fraudulent
entries paying SEQ an acre. however
land instituted mining operations
The company has settled hy paying
The Government eight cents a ION
royalty for alI the coal mined and
woilld have gladly accepted the PRIV.
llege Of being allowed 70 continue
the mlnlRg Al this rate Thia. how
ever. xlae not Insalble under the law.
On lffa fkao lhe aovernfnem received
the ofIalasl 020 an acre. na sall al
ItaS 0ae Il royalty lof IL pArti
WORKING II lhe caal % sha aefpH
inverted Asla na8 nlao Nh8 bach Eha
Hass Il ~ u an ..e..at ~ &4&ts A44s