New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-15
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
NOW 100000 ACRES
Mast of This Area Is Situated
West of the Mississippi
River.
TOTAL WITHDRAWALS LARGE
These Amount to 294, 000,o
Acres, Including National For
ests, Which Aggregate
About 193,o00,o00.
rr-ron, Tie Tribune Bureau

washington Aug 1.-THE vast area OF
tbe pubuc domain. even as II exists To-
dav. will DOUBTLESS prove surprise 10
many peopie who have a vague ,oea mat
.ba r,,h1fc lands of the United states are
,-e-t, we'll exhausted. and that such as
-an,si7 are situated only in the Far West
AS matter Of fact, there are still ap-
,,roxtr,a.ely- 20. 0aaeco acres OF the public
domain and while most of this area is
west of the Mississippi, there is consid-
cradle area in such states Florida, Ala
hama, Mississippi. Michigan and Louisiana.
As a result OF the conservation move
pnent considerable portion of this area
has been temporarily withdrawn from set
Element the total withdrawals exclusive of
small tracts withdrawn for military reser-
yations lighthouse stations. etc, amount
ing TO 2ssa 10000 acres. The withdrawn area
3ncludes. Of course. the national forests,
which aggregate approximately 1s8,oeo,eo
acres, of which es,oee acres are in Porto
Rico.
A considerable portion of the public do
main is unsuitable for settlement under ex-
listing conditions, but the expectation Of the
government to reclaim a large area
by means Of irrigation is shown by the fact
that 17.eGo.ooo acres have been withdrawn
pending the application of water from irri-
cation projects.
Alaska contributes no small portion of
che public domain, there being withdrawn
as national forests Is 600 acres In the
district for forest conservation. All coal
deposits are withdrawn. Il Is estimated
that the coal bearing area OF Alaska ag-
gregates something like 7.ssa.oo0 acres. but.
OF course, this includes much coal bearing
strata CT too poor g quality TO be worth
anything commercially The experts Of
the Geological Survey have estimated that
such Alaska coal as can be worked is
worth about one-half a cent a ton in the
eround-not s. a ton, as has been recklessly
esserted-but they refuse 10 make any esti-
mate of the extent of the lodes. which
would of course, require the running Of
tunnels. bores, etc, in order to make it of
any value. There are some figures how
ever. from which an, exceedingly rough esti-
mate Of 1909 oao. 900 tons Of coal in Alaska
has been made
$4,000 Acres Actually Irrigated.
a year ago the total area TO which water
could be supplied by the Reclamation Ser
vice was SS9eo0 acres, much of which, OF
course. was not part of the public do
main. The area actually irrigated amount
ed TO 81, eco acres
All of the unoccupsed land in Alabama,
Florida and states west of the Mississippi
became the property Of the federal govern
rnent by purchase and through cession by
TIE states All Of the territory north Of
latitude 81 degrees north became the ma
tional domain by a treaty made a the close
Of the Revolutionary War and dated Sep
TENDER 3, I7s7.
or this territory, that embraced within
the present states Of Ohio. Indiana. Illinois,
Michigan. Wisconsin. Tennessee. Minnesota
east CT the Mississippi River, and Alabama
ard Mississippi north of the 5fst parallel
OF latitude was held by Massac husetts
|. Connecticut. New York. Virginia, North
M Carolina. South Carolina and Georgia IN
4der British grants during Colonial times.
y This territory, except Kentucky. was sur
rendered 10 the general government at
subsequent periods, with certain reserva-
tions as 10 grants already made by these
states. These coded lands comprised the
public domain until the Louisiana Pur-
chase of 1913. BY the Louisiana Purchase
the United States acquired all of the drain
age basin Of the Mississippi River west OF
that river. and out of which the states of
Iowa. Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska, Kan
sas, Oklahoma and In part Montana. North
Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota. Louisi-
ana. Colorado and Wyoming have<been Gre
ated.
Public Domain Increased by Treaties.
Territory embraced within the, states Of
Oregon, Washington, Idaho and. Wyoming