The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1910-09-09

an acre. In my Judgment IL lB essentiai
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 ana |
think it may do so safely II congress VIII
authorize the granting of leases. as al
ready suggested for government coal
lands in the United States, with provi-
sions forbiddng the transfer of the
leases except with the consent or the
government, thus preventing their acqui-
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 San Francisco. OF
course such leases should contain condi-
tons recurring 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 Lards.
In the last administration there were
withdrawn from agricultural entry 2S20,-
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 unapprOprla-
ted land; 1900 acres in Oregon and IA
600 acres in Wyoming, making a total Of
nearly 100000 acres, In September, 1899
I directed that all public oil lands
whether then withdrawn Or not, should
be withheld from disposition pending con-
hat tlnR
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-
sirable 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 275O,G0O acres were
made in Arizona, California, Colorado,
New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming Field
examinations during the year showed
that of the original Withdrawals, 2,i70,
coo 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 /, 1910, the outstanding with
drawals then amounted to 4,550,0CO acres
The needed oil and gas law Is essential
" leasing law. In their natural occur
renee, oil ana gas cannot ne HledSuteu III
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
transportabe product rather than in
acres of real estate. This is, or 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 a plan successfully operated IN
private contracts. Why should not the
government as a 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 or
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 I'Surlns
the longest possible life to the oil sup
0na of the difficulties presented. espe-
ciaIIv in the California fields, Is that the
Southern Pacific railroad owns every
other section of land in the oil field,
ard IN those fields the oil seems to be In
a common reservoir. or series of reser-
voIrs communicating through the oil
sands On that the excessive draining of
oil Of ono we'll or on the railroad terri
tory GENERALLY would exhaust the oil In
the government land. Hence 1t is i'm
nortant that II the government is to have
its share Of the oil 1t should begin the
onaninq of wells on Its own property.
II has been suggested and believe the
suggeation to be a sound one that per-
r,its he issued to a prospector for oil
Giving him the right I'd prospect for two
xaors over a certain tract of government
iord for the discovery OF oil, the right to
ha e,,Jdenced nv n license for which he
aus sr,alI sum When the oil Is dis
noyerad then he ACQUIRES title to a GER
tat,, troct much in the same way as he
,'.a,,,d ooo,,ire titIe under a mining law.
90 oorrse a. tho system of leasing is
oao,otad +ber be would be given the
t,ooaet 90 laase unon terms like that
at,n,,a snssested What has been said in
.os,,oot 70 oil annlies also to government
..oI 1ands
s0
rnosp"e'e "S'
Phosphorus is one of the three essen
tails TO plant growth, the other elements
being nitrogen and potash. OF these