The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1910-12-06

3 tllt g l.tllt Glta4 ~ ~ 10 AVGt%tf9e -
lfler the laws providing for the
5isr itlon oe caaI lahds Itlsthe United
States the minimum price at EEhleh
SiiiIs are permitted TO be sold is $40 an
dete, but the secretary OF the interior
has the power to Gx . maximum price
ma 10 seil 1t that price. BY the first
~ aintions governing Appraisal. APP
ftoyetl April g. 1907, the minimum was
$40. as provided by law, and the maxi
fIiiirI ta6 S10o, and the highest price
n y piacea llnon any land sold was
S7f5 Ijnder taetneW regulations adopt
"a AfrA 10, 1909, the maximum price
~ rlereased 20 $500 except I'm regions
M ere there are large mines, where no
ma xiEmufh limit rs hxed and the price
Il Determined by the estimated tons OF
coal 10 the acre. The highest price
fixed for any land under this regula-
ton has been $6oe.
T,he Appraised value OF the lands
cias ified as coal lands and valued I'M
der the new and old regulations Is
shown to be as follows: Three million
seven hundred uinety-fve thousand
four hundred and forty-fve acres, vel
ued under the old regulation at $I6-
s04 .38T, an average of approximately
5000 an acre, and 6SSS,9@I ACRES
S.lasgffied and valued under the new
RECITATION at $43o. O5O, 1854, or total OF
40 4ao.S72 acres. valued at $JoGS54, l0l.
For the year ended June 80, 1899,
o13 coal entries were made, embracing
an area of 81 ,o45 acres which sold for
S55B 5o2O3 For the year ended June
"a 1910. there were 24S entries en-
bracinr. an aren of 3S,325 acres, which
s0Ifi for SIP 325.41. and down to No
vember, 1910, there were thirty-etght
entries with an. area Of ., 1G4 acres,
which sold for $1o3, OS2.75, making the
disposition OF coal lands within the
last two years of about $4,000 acres
Tor 81 .431 $40.
The present congress has separated
the surface OF coal lands, either classl'
fed or Withdrawn for classification,
from the coal beneath so as TO permit
ut all times homestead entries upon
the surface of lands useful for agri'
culture and to reserve the ownership
IN the coal to the government The
question which remains to be consld-
cred Is whether the existing law for
tIle sale of the coal in the ground
should continue in force or he repealed
ana a new method of disposition adopt
ed. Under the present law the ALSO
lutte title In the coal beneath the sur"
face passes to the grantee of the gov
eminent.
The price fixed is upon an estimated
amount of the tons OF coal per acre be-
meath the surface. and the prices are
Fixed so that the earnings will only be
a reasonable profit upon the amount
Maid and the investment necessary.
Rut. OF course. this is more or less
crossword. and the government parts
with the ownership OF the coal in the
ground absolutely. Authorities OF the
geological survey estimate that in the
tinted States today there Is supply
Of about 1900 billions of tons of coal
ma that of this !, 900 billions are in
the public domain. OF course the other
1000 billions are within private own
ership and under no more control as
to the use r.the prices nj which the
coal may be sold than any other pri'
yate property.
If the government leases the coaI
lands and acts as any landlord would
ana imposes conditions In it's leases
: like those which are now Imposed by
the owners In fee OF coal mines in the
various coal regions OF the east, then
1t would retain over the disposition OF
the coal deposits a choice as to the as
slCnee of the lease, n power of resum'
ing possession ut the end OF the term
Of the lease or or readjustinE terms at
fixed periods of the lease. which might
easily be framed to enable it to eXer-
else a limited but effective control in
the disposition and sale Of the coal to
the public
It has been urged that the leasing
system has never been adopted in this
country and that its adoption would
largely interfere with the Investment
OF capital aud the proper development
and opening up Of the coal resources.
venture to differ from this view
NV investigations show that many
owners OF mining property OF this
country do not mine it themselves and
do not invest their money In the plants
necessary for the mining, but they
lease their properties for term OF
years varying from twenty to thirty
aud forty years under conditions re-
ouirinG the erection OF a proper plant
and the investment of certain
amount of money in the development
OF the mines and fixing rental and "
ROYALTY, sometimes an absolute figure
and sometimes one pruportloned TO the
niarket value of the coal.
Under this latter method the owner
Of tho mine shares in the prosperity OF
his Iessees when coal is high and the
profits good and also shares to some
extent in their disappointment when
the Drice of coal falls.
4 hr 20 Looked with some care into q