Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-05
COAL LANDS

The next subject. and one most i'm
portant for our consideration. is the dis
position OF the coal lands In the United
States and in Alaska First. as to those
I'm the United States. At the beginning
OF this administration there were CLASH
fed coal lands amounting to ), 476 600 acres,
and there were withdrawn from entry for
purposes Of classification 1867 600 acres.
Since that time there have been with
drawn by my order from entry for classi-
hcation 11.64S.OOO acres. making a total
withdrawal of 95.5l5.OOO acres. Mean
time. OF the acres thus withdrawn, H.
311.OOO have been classified and found not
to contain coal, and have been restored TO
agricultural entry. and 4356,OOO acres
have been classified as coal lands: while
i9.tSS.OO acres remain withdrawn from
entry and await classification In addi-
ton $4,000 acres have been classified as
coal lands without prior withdrawn
thus increasing the classified coal lands to
~. 16S, 900 acres.
Under the laws providing for the dis
position of coal lands the fnihmum
price at which lands are permitted to be
sold Is so an acre; but the Secretary OF
the Interior has the power to fix a maxi
mum price and to sell at that price. By
the first regulations governing appraisal
approved April s. 1907. the minimum was
$40. as provided by law, and the maxi
mum was 500. and the highest price ac-
tually placed upon any land sold was So
Under the new regulations, adopted April
10. 1909 the maximum price was in
creased to 500, except in regions where
there are large mines. where no maxi
mum limit is fixed and the price Is de-
termined by the estimated tons Of coal to
the acre. The highest price fixed for any
land under this regulation has been sos
Ian oil ct :
fed as coal lands and valued under the
new and old regulations is shown to be
as follows: 4,303.921 acres. valued under
the old regulation at S17,644 800. an aver
classified and valued under the new reg
ulation at 1894, 2O3. 242. or a total of 49,
l6s,623 acres. valued at SAT-. S47.571.
Many Coal Entries Made.
For the year ending March 81. 1909.
2eI coal entries were made. embracing an
area OF 1881 acres. which sold for $685.
02O.4O. For the year ending March 81,
1910. there were 10 entries, embracing
an area Of 23.413 acres. which sold for
$GOS.sl3; and down TO August. 1910, there
were but IL entries. with an area OF !, 100
acres. which sold for $33.910.6O, making
disposition Of the coal lands In the
last two years Of about 5000 acres for
81. 3O5, OOO.
The present Congress, as already said,
has separated the surface OF coal lands,
either classified or withdrawn for classi-
ficatfon, from the coal beneath, SO as 10
permit at all times homestead entries
upon the surface of lands useful for
agriculture and to reserve the ownership
In the coal TO the government. The
question which remains to be considered
is whether the existing law for the sale
OF the coal In the ground should con-
tinue in force or be repealed and a
new method OF disposition adopted. Under
the present law the absolute title in the
coal beneath the surface passes to the
grantee OF the government. The price
liked Is upon an estimated amount OF the
tons OF coal per acre beneath the SURFACE,
and the prices are liked SO that the earn
ings will only be a reasonable profit upon
the amount paid and the investment nee
essary. But, OF course, this is more or
less guesswork, and the government parts
with the ownership OF the coal in the
ground absolutely. Authorities of the
geological survey estimate that in the
United States today there Is a supply of
about 5000. 100000 of tons Of coal.
and that OF this 1.O0.OOo, UAp,OOO are In
the public domain. OF course the other
Q OOO.0OO.0oO,O0O are within private OWL.
ership and under no more control as to
the use or the prices at which the coal
may be sold than any other private prop-
erty. IL the government leases the coal
lands and acts as any landlord would.
and imposes conditions in its leases like
those which are now imposed by the own
ers in fee OF coal mines in the various
coal regions OF the east, then II would
retain over the disposition OF the coal
deposits q choice as to the assignee of
! sion at the end OF the term Of the lease,
| or of readjusttng terms at fixed periods
| OF the lease. which might easily DE
framed to enable it TO exercise limited