The Raymer enterprise., 1910-09-08

cary up he naxfmum q vs1us u -
an acre. In my 3udgmsnt II 10 essential
In the proper dsvslopmsnt Of AlaskA that
these coal lands should b opened. and
that the Pacific slops should bs given the
bsneft Of the comparatively cheap coal
Of nns quality which can b furnished at
. reasonable price from these fields: but
the public. through the government.
ought certainly to retain . wise control
and interest In these coal deposits. and I
think II may do 80 safely II congress will
authorize the granting Of leases. a. al
ready suggested 70. government coal
lands in the United States. with provi-
sions forbidding the transfer Of tho
leases except with the consent Of the
government. thus preventing their acaui-
sition by combination or monopoly and
upon Limitations as 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 Ban Francisco. OF
course such leases should contain condi-
lions 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.
OH and Gas Lands.
In the last administration thero were
withdrawn from agricultural entry 2.s2D.-
o0O acres of supposed oil land In Califor-
mia: about a million and half acres In
Louisiana. OF which only $500 acres
were known to be vacant unappropria-
ted land: $500 acres In Oregon and lH.-
900 acres In Wyoming. making total of
nearly 10000 acres. In September. 1893.
! directed that all public oil lands.
whether then Withdrawn or not. should
be withheld from disposition pending con-
gressional action. for the reason that the
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 It seemed de-
s!rable to reserve certain fuel-oil deposits
for the use Of the American navy. Ac-
cordingiy the form of all existing with
drawals was changed. and new with
drnwals aggregating 2.750ooo acres were
made in Arizona. California. Colorado,
New Mexico. Utah and Wyoming Field
examinations during the year showed
that of the original Withdrawals. 2.170.-
600 acres were not valuable for oil. and
they were restored for agricultural entry.
other Withdrawals of public
oil lands In these states were made. so
that July l. 1910. the outstanding with
drawals then amounted to $4,000 acres.
The needed oil and gas law is essential
ly a leasing law. In their natural occur
renee. oil and gas cannot be measured in
terms OF acres. like coal. and 1t follows
that exclusive title to these products can
normally be secured only after they reach
the surface. OIL should be disposed Of as
a commodity in terms Of barrels Of
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 Ia In private ownership. The
government thus would not be entering
on an experiment but simply putting
into effect plan successfully operated in
private contracts. Why should not the
government as landowner deal directly
with the oil producer rather than through
the Intervention OF middleman to whom
the government gives title to the land7
The principal underlying feature OF
such legislation should be the exercise OF
beneficial control rather than the collec-
tion of revenue. As not only the largest
owner of oil lands. but as a prospective
large consumer of oil by reason of the
increasing use of fuel oil by the navy.
the federal government Is directly con-
cerhed 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-
cially In tho California fields. Is that the
Southern Pacific railroad owns every
other section OF land In the oil field.
and In those helds the oil seems to be In
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 1t Ia i'm
portant tina. II the government liz 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-
mits be issued to prospector for oil
giving him the right to prospect for two
yeara over certain tract OF government
land for the discovery Of oil. the right to
he evidenced by license for which he
covered. then he acquires title to GER
tain tract, much in the same way as he
would acquire title under mining law.
OF course II the system Of leasing Is
adopted then he would be given the
benefit OF lease upon terms like that
above suggested. What has been said in
respect 10 oil applies also to government
gas lands.
Phosphate Lands.
Phosphorus is one OF the three essen
tiais to plant growth, the other elements
being nitrogen and potash. OF these
three. phosphorus Is by all odds the
srarcest element In nature. II Ia easily
extracted in useful form from the phos-
phate 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. rs well as
in South Carolina. Georgia and Tennes.
see. The government phosphate lands are
confined to Wyoming. Utah and Florida
Prior TO March I, 1909. there were 1000. .00
acres withdrawn from agricultural entry
In the ground that the land covered phos.
phate rock. Since that time. $4,000 acres
OF the land thus withdrawn was fount
not to contain phosphate In profitable
quantities. while I.s7s,ooo acres was classi
fed properly as phosphate lands. During
this administration there has been with
drawn and classified $1,000 acres, so thai
today there Ia classified as phosphate rock
land 2.ll5.oo0 acreE. This rock Is mos,
important In the composition Of fertilizers
to Improve the soil. and as the future I,
certain to create an enormous demand
throughout this country for fertilization
the value TO the public Of such deposits
rs these can hardly be exaggerated. Ger.
tainiy with respect to these deposits q
careful policy Of conservation should b,
Raliaund LAM TINT pnuld I,rnuIdo .