Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-05
DEsEREr EVENING NEWS MONDAY SEPTEMBER s 1910

the interest OF one individual or cor
poration. or because of agreement
made prior 10 location between the ap
| plicants to cooperate In developing m
lands There are 80 claims for 10
acres each. known as the cunningham
claims which are claimed to- DO vail,
on the ground that they We're made b,
an attorney for 80 different and bon,
ide claimants who. as alleged paiC
their money and took the proper step,
20 locate their entries and protect them
| The representatives Of the government
In the hearings before the land ofiicc
have attacked the validity OF these
| Cunningham claims on tho ground that
| prior 10 their location there was an
! understanding between the claimants
| 10 pool their claims after they had been
perfected and unite them in one com
| pany The trend Of decision seems
| 10 show that such an agreement would
| invalidate the claims, although under
| the subsequent law OF May 2s, 1908, the
consolidation OF such claims was per-
nitted, after location and entry, In
tracts OF $3.50 acres. II would be, oi
course. improper for me to Intimate
what the result OF tho issue ss to the
likely 10 be. but II ought to be dis
tinctly Understood that no private
claims for Alaska coal lands have as
yet been allowed or perfected. and also
that whatever the result as to pending
claims, the existing coal-land laws OF
Alaska are most unsatisfactory and
should be radically amended. To be-
gin with, the purchase price OF the land
Is fat rate of $40 per acre, although
as we have seen. the estimate OF the
agent OF tho geological survey would
carry up the maximum Of value To $500
an acre. In my Judgment II II essential
In the proper development Of Alaska
hot a l.. -t.r - t,aI
and that tho Pacific slope should be
given the benefit OF the comparatively
cheap coal Of fine quality which can
be furnished at a reasonable price from
these fields; but the public. through
the government. ought certainly to re-
tain wise control and interest in Theses
coal deposits, and think IL may do
50 safely II Congress will authorize
the granting OF leases, as already sug-
gested for government coal lands In
the United States, with provisions for
bidding the transfer of the leases eX-
cept with the consent Of the govern
ment, thus preventing their acquisition
by n combination or monopoly and
upon limitations as to the area to be
dividual. and at certain moderate
rental, with royalties upon the coal
mined proportioned 60 the market
value Of the coal either at Seattle or
at San Francisco OF course such
leases should contain conditions re-
curing the erection Of proper plants,
the proper development by modcrn
mining methods of the properties
leased, and the use of every known aud
practical means and device for saving
the life OF the miners.
The government Of the United states
has much to answer for In not having
given proper attention to the govern.
ArNFe Is.r4ft
of her resources for the benefit OF all
the people Of the country l would
not force development at the expense
OF n present or future waste OF re-
sources; but the problem as to the
OF the coal lands for present
and future use can be wisely and safe |
~ settled In one session II Congress |
gives II careful attention.
OIL AND GAS LANDS.
In the last administration there |
were withdrawn from agricultural |
entry 2.2sO.000 acres of supposed oil |
land I'm California; about a million |
and a half acres in Louisiana, OF |
which only $500 acres we're known |
to be vacant unappropriated land; |
: 8. 600 acres in oregon and $4,000
acres in Wyoming, making total of |
nearly four millions of acres. In
1909. / directed that all |
public oil lands, whether then with
drawn or not, should be withheld |
from disposition pending congressional
action. for the reason that the existing |
placer mining law. although made APP
plicable to deposits of this character,
Is not suitable to such lands, and for
The further reason that it seemed de-
sirable TO reserve certain fuel-oil de-
posts for the use Of the American
navy Accordingly the form Of all OK
sting Withdrawals was changed, and
. l. 4 L. a.. Inc .
200 acres were made in Arizona, Cali
Fornia. Colorado. New Mexico, Utah.
and wyoming Field examinations
turing the year showed that OF the
original Withdrawals. 2,170,O0O acres
we're restored for agricultural entry
we're restored for agricultural entry
Meantime. other Withdrawals of pub
ic oil lands in these states were made
so that July I. 1910. the outstanding
thdrawals then amounted TO $3.50
100 acres.
NEEDED OIL LAW,
The needed oil and gas law Is es-
entially leasing law. In their ma
ural occurrence, oil and gas can not
70 measured in terms OF acres. like
'oal and It follows that exclusive tito
q these products can normally be
ecured only after they reach the sur
ace oil should be disposed of as a
commodity in terms of barrels of
rams portable product rather than in |
.cres OF real estate. This Is, of course.
he reason for the practically universal
.doption of tho leasing system
wherever oil land is in private owner
hip. The government thus would not
"a entering on an experiment. but
imply putting into effect a plan sue
essfully operated i'm private contracts
Why should not the government as a
landowner deal directly with the oil
roducer rather than through the in
ervention of a middleman to whom
he government gives title to the land7 |
Tho principal underlying feature of
UGH legislation should he the exercise
{ beneficial control rather than the
objection Of revenue. AS not only the
lrgest owner of oil lands. but as
large consumer OF oil by
eason OF the increasing use of fuel
rent Is directly concerned both i'm
rational development and
t the same time insuring the longest
ossihle life to the oil supply. The :
1yaltv rates fixed by the government
Mould neither exceed nor fall below !
ie current rates. But much more Inn |
ortant than revenue Is the enforce ,
tent Of regulations to conserve the | I
uhlic interest so that the covenants | /
the lessees shall specifically safe | 7
lard oil fields against the penalties | {
ON careless drilllngs and ~ produce | &
on In excess Of transportation facili- | 6
es or OF market requirements Z
a GREAT OBSTACLE