The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-03-04
SAVE COAL LANDS
TO NATION
BEvERlDGE INTRODUCES BILLS
TO WITHDRAW THOSE 10.
GATED IN ALASKA.
Recent Figures Given in Testimony
Before Committee Results in Move.
ment to Permanently Retain Title
in ACKNOWLEDGEMENT to Lease
Them for Periods Not Exceeding
Thirty Years.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 26.-The re.
cent startling testimony concerning
the value of coal deposits in Alaska
given before the senate committee on
territories by Manager Birch of the
Guggenheim-Morgan Alaskan syndi.
cate has resulted in a movement in
the senate in the interest of the per.
manent retention of the title to the
Alaska coal deposits by the United
States, and bills looking to that end
were introduced recently by Senator
| Beverage, chairman of the committee
on territories.
One bill provides for the withdrawal
| from all forms of entry for sale of all
| the coal deposits of Alaska and the
| other for the leasing of them. The
| leasing measure prohibits the leasing
of more than $500 acres to one per-
son or association, or for more than
80 years.
| 1t is provided that the surface over
| lying coal deposits may be disposed of
under the land laws.
In presenting the bills Mr.. Bever-
| idge spoke of Mr.. Birch's revelations
| and presented many other figures to
show the enormous value of the de-
posits, which he predicted would be
needed in time, not only by the Pa
cific Coast, but by the entire country.
Deposits Are Enormous.
He placed the gross valuation of the
Boring river and Matanuska deposits
at $2,000,000,O0O, and said the re-
searches of the geological survey had
revealed many other deposits in the
territory. He gave $4,000, OOO,0 as
the total tonnage of the territory.
On Mr.. Beveridge's request the bills
were referred to the committee on
| public lands. Senator Nelson, chair
man of the committee, gave assurance
| that legislation would be recommend
| ed.
Commencing further conservation of
Alaskan coal, Senator Beveridge said
it was necessary that this great fuel
reserve should not pass from the own.
ut is necessary" he said, "that it
should be developed and it is clear
that some steps should be taken to
safeguard it from private ownership
and to provide for it's development by
| lease"
He called attention to the fact that
| if disposed of at all, the Alaska coal
| land must be disposed of at fiat
rate of $40 an acre. He pointed out
that in 1906 President Roosevelt with
drew all these coal lands from entry,
but that no law had ever been passed
confirming this withdrawal. 1t was
to confirm this withdrawal and to
| make it the act Of congress itself that
| he introduced the first bill.
Would Provide Revenue.
Speaking of the second BILL he said
congress too long had delayed the ap-
plication of this plain principle of pub
lie policy to the vast mineral deposits
| that once belonged to the nation.
Had this been done in the case
of the iron ore deposits which long
since have passed into private hands, "
said Mr.. Beverage, "the nation would
be receiving enormous royalties that
would have gone far toward paying the
expenses of the government and at
the same time special interests now
| owning and operating these ore depos.
its would have made reasonable prof
it's instead of enormous profits that
| have gone to build up some of the
mightiest aggregations of capital and
some of the most tremendous fortunes
in this country, indeed, in the history
! of the world"