The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-09-09

carry up the maximum OF value to 500
an acre. In my Judgment it is essential
in the proper development of Alaska that
these coal lands should be opened, and
that the Pacific slope should be given the
benefit of the comparatively cheap coal
OF fine quality which can be furnished at
a reasonable price from these fields. but
the public. through the government.
ought certainly to retain wise control
and Interest in these coal deposits, and
think It may do so safely if congress will
authorize the granting of leases. rs al
ready suggested for government coal
lands in the United States, with provi-
s.ols forbiddlng 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 as TO the area to be in
clEced 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 ct Seattle or at san Francisco. OF
course such leases should contain condi-
tons requiring the erection of proper
plants, the proper development by mod
crn 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
withdrawn from agricultural entry 2.S20,-
coo acres of supposed oil land in Califor-
MIA: about a million and a half acres in
Louisiana, OF which only ESQ acres
we're known to be vacant unappropria-
ted land; 1000 acres In Oregon and 174,-
coo acres in Wyoming, making a total OF
nearly 100000 acres. In September. 1903,
l directed that all public oil lands,
rhaffar thew rx-fth cbOt
be withheld from disposition pending con-
Sressionel 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-
srable TO reserve certain fuel-oil deposits
for the use OF the American navy. Ac-
cordingly the form OF all existing with
drawa!s was changed, and new with
drawals aggreGating 2.T5O.Oe0 acres were
made in Arizona. California, Colorado,
New Mexico. Utah and Wyoming. Field
examinations during the year showed
that OF the original withdrawals, 2.17e.-
eco acres were not valuable fo- oil, and
they We're restored for agricultural entry.
Meantime. other Withdrawals OF public
oil LANDS in these states were made so
that July l, 1910, the outstanding with
drawals then amounted to 4.55o,C00 acres.
The needed oil and gas law is essential
" leasing law. In their natural occur
renee, oil and gas cannot be measured IL
terla Of acres Ike coal. and it 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
trarsportable 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 plan successfully operated in
private contracts. Why should not the
government as q landowner deal directly
9th the oil producer rather than through
the intervention OF a middlemaa to whom
the government gives title to the land?
The principal underlying feature of
such legislation should be 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 the
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-
cially in the California fields, is that the
Southern Pacific railroad owns every
other section of land in the oil field.
and in those fields 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 we'll, or on the railroad terri
tory generally. would exhaust the oil in
the government land. Hence 1t is i'm
portant that if the government is to have
its share of the oil 1t should begin the
opening of wells on its own property.
It has been suggested, and believe the
suggestion to be a sound one. that per-
mits be issued to a prospector foD oil
giving him the right to prospect for two
years over a certain tract of government
land for the discovery of oil. the right to
be evidenced by license for which he
pays a small sum. When the oil is dis
covered, then he acquires title to GER
tain tract, much in the same way as he
would acquire title under a mining law
OF course if the system of leasing is
adopted, then he would be given the
benefit of a lease upon terms like that
above suggested. What has been said In
respect to oil applies also to government
gas lands.
Phosphate Lands.
Phosphorus is one of the three essen
tials to plant growth, the other elements
being nitrogen and potash. OF these
three phosphorus is by all odds the
scarcest element in nature. 1t is easily
extracted in useful form from the phos-