Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-06

] and the Investment OF certain
amount of money in the development
of the mines and fixing/a rental and
a royalty, sometimes an absolute fig.
ure and sometimes one proportioned to
| the market value of the coal. Under
! this latter method the owner of the
mine shares in the prosperity of his
! lessee when coal is high and the prof
| its good and also shares to some ex-
tent in their disappointment when the
price of coal falls.
/ I have looked with some care into a
report made at the instance OF Presi-
dent Roosevelt upon the disposition OF
coal lands in Australia, Tasmania, and
New Zealand. These are peculiarly
mining countries, and their experience
ought to be most valuable. In all
! these countries the method for the
disposition and opening Of coal mines
originally owned by the government
is by granting leasehold. and not by
granting an absolute title. The terms
of the leases run all the way from
twenty to fifty years, while the amount
of land which may be leased to any in
dividual there is from $40 to 1000
acres. 1t appears that full examina-
ton was made and the opinions of all
the leading experts on the subject
were solicited and given, and that with
one accord they approved in all re-
spects the leasing system. Its sue,
cess is abundantly shown. It is posi-
BILE that at first considerable latitude
will have to be given to the executive
in drafting these forms of lease, but
as soon as experiment shall show
which is the most workable and prac-
ticable, it's use should re provided Tor
specifically by statute.
The question as to how great an
area ought to be included in lease to
one individual or corporation, is not
free from difficulty; but in view of the
fact that the government retains con-
troll as owner, I think there might be
some liberality in the amount leased,
and that $500 acres would not be too
great maximum.
BY the opportunity to readjust the
terms upon which the coal shall be
held by the tenant, either at the end
of such lease or at periods during the
term, the government may secure the
benefit Of sharing in the increased
price of coal and the additional profit
made by the tenant. BY imposing con-
!ditions in respect to the character OF
work to be done in the mines, the gov
eminent may control the character OF
the development of the mines and the
treatment of employees with reference
to safety. BY denying the right to
transfer the lease except by the writ
ten permission of the governmental
authorities, it may withhold the need
ed consent when it is proposed to
transfer the leasehold to6persons IN
terested in establishing monopoly OF
coal production in any state or neigh
Fborhood. AS one-third of all the coal
supply is held by the government, IT
seems wise that it should retain such
control over the mining and the sale
as the relation of lessor to lessee furn-
ishes. The change from the absolute
grant to the leasing system will in
yolve good deal of trouble insthe out
set, and the training Of experts In the
matter of making proper leases: but
the change will be a good one and can
be made The change is in the inter
est of conservation, and am gladtto
approve it.
Alaska Coal Lands.
The investigations OF the geological
survey shows that the coal properties
in Alaska cover about 1000 square
miles, and that there are known to be
available about Is billion tons. This is
however. an underestimate Of the Goa
| in Alaska, because further develop
ments will probably increase this
amount many times; but we can say
with considerable certainty that there
are two fields on the Pacific slope
| which can be reached by railways al
a reasonable cost from deep water-ir
4 one case of about SO miles and in the
other case of about $50 miles which
will afford certainly 6 billion tons o.
coal, more than half of which Is OF 8
very high grade of bituminous and o
anthracite. 1t is estimated to be worth
! in the ground, one-half a cent q ton
; which makes it's value per acre from
$50 to $500. The col<ing-coal lands O
| Pennsylvania are woDth from $500 tt
! $4,000 an acre, while other Appalach
! ian fields are worth from $40 to $685.
] an acre. and in the fields in the Cen
] trail States from $40 to $4,000 an acre
1 and in the Rocky mountains $40 to $500
an acre The demand for coal on thu
i Pacific coast is for about 100000 tom
/ year. 1t would encounter the compe
1 tition of cheap fuel Gil, of which tn
equivalent of 12,OO0,000 tons of coal
year is used there. It is estimated tina
! the coal could be laid down at Seattl'
/ or San Francisco, high-grade blum
/ nous, at 81 a ton anh anthracite at s.
or Sc ton. The price OF coal on thu
| Pacific slope varies greatly from tim
to time in the year and from year t.
| year-from 81 to $12 ton. With
regular coal supply established, the ex
pert of the geological survey, MI
Books. who has made report on tn
subject. does not think there would b.
an excessive profit in the Alaska Goa
mining because the price at which tn
coal could be sold would be. consider
iably lowered by competition iron
| these fields and by the presence o
| crude fuelloil. The history Of the law
affecting the disposition of Alaska Goa
lands shows them to need amendmen
badly. Speaking of them, Mr.. Brook
says:
4 "The first act, passed June s. 1901
] simply extended to Aslaka provision
4. of the coal land laws in the Unite
States. The law, was ineffective, for
a,,;d,l tbot on1y cuhdiyidnd land