The daily sentinel., 1909-05-25


n between agricultural and coal values.
, The regulations for the classified
= ton and valuation of the government
: coal lands as revised in April pro-
: vide for a somewhat more discrim-
= mating separation of the coal ana
!, non-coal lands and for the fixing OF
more adequate valuations upon lands
underlain by the higher grades or
, coal These changes were determ-
ined upon by the secretary of the in
, terror from the consideration of pres
, ent 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 royal
ties collected both by the states and
by private landowners. Two of the
regulations indicate the spirit of
these administrative measures for
safeguarding the disposal OF the ma
tion's remaining coal lands. The
price 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
immediate 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
valuation of the coal lands differs
from that formerly in force in two
| general respects The basis is now
specifically that OF coal tonnage and
the land prices thus determined for
the better grades of coal. anthracite
and coking- are somewhat
higher. the maximum being raised
from 500 to $500 per acre, and in
deed this maximum does not hold in
districts which contain large coal
mines where the character and ex-
tent of the coal deposits are well
known to the purchaser
The plan of valuing the public coal
lands by accurate determination of
coal quality and tonnage is the most
equitable possible, and while ade-
quate returns are secured to the gov
ernment the land prices thus fixed |
rarely amount TO one-fourth of the
royalties prevailing in the same dis /
tricts among private interests.
The present scheme of valuation is |
as follows: Anthracite and coking |
bituminous Goals are valued at 2 to
3 cents a ton High grade non-cok |
ing bituminous Goals are valued at | |
to cents a ton High-grade sub |
bituminous and lowgrade bitumin-
GUS Goals are valued at II to cent |
ton. Low-grade subbituminous Goals |
and lignites are valued at the mini |
mum price fixed by law of $40 and |
$40 an acre. The tonnage is very |
conservatively estimated and actual |
recovery ought always to exceed the |
tonnage upon which the valuation is |
based
A few instances are cited as show
ita hn af.nt ixn Iii of
valuations under the different land |
policies. In one township near Rock |
Springs. Wyoming, the valuation of |
which has just been completed by the
geological survey. the coal land val
ues aggregate $2,S00,000, on the |
basis of / 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 Interpretation which held |
prior to 1906, is 100000. while un-
der the valuation plan of last year
the amount would have been a little
less than S1.O00,00O
Near the great Castlegate coal |
field in Utah, the survey is now valu- |
ing some of the government land |
containing thick beds of coking coal. |
In this field thousands of acres would |
run over the maximum of $500 an
acre. as opposed to the $40 minimum
price and SIS under the former valu-
alton scheme. Dozens of other equal
ly striking instances of comparative
valuations might be cited.
The conservatism of even the pres
ent valuation plan is clearly shown
from an examination of the records
in several cases where land was
fraudulently entered by certain COM
panies and in which suit for recov-
cry of land and damages was insti-
tuted by the government. In one in
stance of this kind coal company
secured tract of land through
fraudulent entries-paying $50 an
acre, however-and instituted min
ing operations. The company has
settled by paying the government
eight cents ton royalty for all the
coal mined and would have gladly
accepted the privilege of being al
lowed to continue the mining at this
rate This, however. was not pos
sible under the law. In this case the
government received the original $40
an acre. as well as $31. .000 in royalty
for the partial working of the coal on
| the "A acres involved and has also
| got back the land. Had the company
been permitted to mine out the coal,
including that left as pillars. the re-
turn to the government would have
been 1920 an acre. Under the pres
ent scheme of valuation this land
would have been sold at $340 an
acre.
Not only are the prices determined
on the basis of the present plan be-
lieved to be not excessive. but high
or valuation would have been very
properly approved by Secretary Bal
linger were II not for the fact that
the coal land law limits the coal land
that may be acquired to an acreage