The state herald., 1910-09-09

an acre. In my Judgment II 10 essential
In the proper development Of Alaska that
these coal lands should b. opened. and
that the Pacific slope should be given the
bensnt Of the comparatively cheap coal
of fns quality which can b furnished At
a reasonable price from these nelds; but
the public. through the government.
ought certainly to retain . wise control
and interest in these coal deposits. and
think 1t may do so safely II congress will
authorize tho granting of leases, as al
ready suggested for government coal
lands in the United States, with provi-
sions forbidding the transfer of the
leases except with the consent Of the
government, thus preventing their acqui-
sition by a combination or monopoly and
upon limitations az to the area to be In
cluded In any one lease to one individual,
and at a certain moderate rental, with
royalties upon the coal mined proper
toned to the market value of the coal
either at Seattle or at San Francisco. OF
course such leases should contain condi-
tions requiring the erection of proper
plants. the proper development by mod
ern mining methods of the properties
leased. and the use of every known and
practical means and device for saving the
life OF the miners.
OIL and Gas Lands.
In the last administration, there were
900 acres of supposed oil land in Califor-
mia: about a million and a half acres In
Louisiana. of which only $500 acres
were known to be vacant unappropria-
ted land: 1900 acres In Oregon and lT,-
900 acres in Wyoming, making a total of
nearly 100000 ncres. In September. 1909.
I directed that all public oil lands,
whether then withdrawn or not. should
be withheld from disposition pending con-
IN nj ha
existing placer mining law, although
made applicable to deposits of this char
acter. is not suitable to such lands. and
for the further reason that II seemed de-
slrable to reserve certain fuel-oil deposits
for the use OF the American navy. Ac-
cordingly the form OF all existing with
drawals was changed. and new with
drawals aggregating 2.7500o0 acres were
made In Arizona, California. Colorado,
New Mexico. Utah and Wyoming Field
examinations during the year showed
that OF the original Withdrawals. 2.l70.-
900 acres were not valuable for oil, and
they were restored for agricultural entry.
Meantime. other Withdrawals of public
oil lands In these states were made. so
that July I. 1910. the outstanding with
drawals then amounted to 100000 acres.
The needed oil and gas law is essential
ly leasing law. In their natural occur
renee, oil and gas cannot be measured In
terms OF acres. like coal. and II follows
that exclusive title to these products can
normally he secured only after they reach
the surface. OIL should be disposed of as
a commodity In terms OF barrels of
transportable product rather than In
acres OF real estate. This is. of course.
the reason for the practically universal
adoption OF the leasing system wherever
oil land is in private ownership. The
government thus would not be entering
on an experiment. but simply putting
into effect n plan successfully operated in
private contracts. Why should not the
government as n landowner deal directly
With the oil producer rather than through
the Intervention OF middleman to whom
the government gives title to the land?
The principal underlying feature of
such legislation should he the exercise of
beneficial control rather than the collec-
ton OF revenue. As not only the largest
owner of oil lands. but as a prospective
large consumer of oil by reason of tho
increasing use OF fuel oil by the navy.
the federal government is directly con-
cerned both In encouraging rational de-
velopment and at the same time insuring
the longest possible life to the oil sup
ply.
One of the difficulties presented. espe-
ciaily In the California fields. Ia that the
Southern Pacific railroad owns every
and in those heldr the oil seems to be In
a common reservoir. or series of reser-
voirs. communicating through the oil
sands. so that the excessive draining OF
oil at one well. or on the railroad terri
tory generally. would exhaust the oil in
the government land. Hence II is i'm
portnnt that II the government In to have
Its share of the oil II should begin the
opening OF wells on Its own property.
II has been suggested. and believe the
suggestion to be a sound one. that per-
mita be issued to prospector for oil
giving him the right to prospect for two
yenre over certain tract of government
land for the discovery OF oil. the right TO
be evidenced by Il license for which he
PAYS n small sum. when the oil II dis
covered. then he acquires title to GER
tain tract. much in the same way as he
would acquire title under n mining law.
OF course n the system OF leasing Is
adopted, then he would be given the
benefit Of n lease upon terms like that
above suggested. What has been said In
respect to oil applies also to government
gas lands.
Phosphate Lands.
Phosphorus IN ono of the three essen
iials to plant growth. the other elements
being nitrogen and potash. OF these
three. phosphorus is by all odds the
scnfcett element IN NATURE. " N ehsily
extracted In useful form from the phos-
rhate rock. and the United States con-
tains the greatest known deposits OF this
rock in the world. They are found In
Wyoming. Utah and Florida. M well as
In Routh Carolina. Georgia and T~nnes-
see. The government phosphate lands are
confined to Wyoming. Utah and Florida.
Prior TO March T. 1893. there were 100000
acres Withdrawn from agricultural entry
In the ground that the land covered phos-
phat- rock. Since that time. s.3.. 900 acres
Of the land thus withdrawn was found
not to contain phosphate In prontnbie
quantities. while i.eIs.ooo acres was clnssi-
ned properly as phosphate lands. During
this administration there has been with
drawn and classified 49, 900 acres. so that
today there In classified as phosphate rock
land a.iis.ooo nor-r. This rock 10 most
important In tho composition OF fertiiiser=
To Improve the soil. and aa the futur. Is
certain to create nm enormous demand
throughout this country for fertilization.
the value TO the public OF such deposits
ns thes. can hardly be exaggerated. Ger
tniniy with respect to these deposits a
careful policy Of conservation should be
followed. A law that would provide n
leasing system for tho phosphate d@po=-
Its. together with n provision for the sep
nration Of tn. surface and mineral rights
a. .tt.aAx nfnxIard for Ia IN, ease nf