The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1910-09-08

a1ssltnss aad TO reserve the ownership
- tbs coal 70 the government The Ques-
eAaa which remains to BE- considered u
UAsther ths existing law tor the sale Of
H. osai In the ground should conttnue
= eesos or - repealed and . nev method
NJ tAs sAsoluts titis In ths esal ~
nsath ths surface Daasss 10 ths grantes
Of the gevs9nneAt. The Price AxeA .
n0sa a. estimated amount Of the tons
q oeal Dsr acre Asaeath the surface. anA
~ psscas are AxsA - that the essnines
oAneant pal1 aaA tie iavsstnsnt nsess-
sasy. DeG u course. this y moro sr -
e0sasvest. snA the government Dalts
vseA tAs svnsssAiD q ths coal b tAo
0sss1 ehosastsly. ASthesitsas q ~ -
eSogscal survey estimate that IN tAe
ehsut thsss thouaaAA billioas OF tors q
caol. snl that ef this oae thousand eeihoeD
80 In the Dsbte 1omaAa. OF course. ths ctA-
- t0o tAs1saal bAlMs0s ass vtthia Deivoeo
sWHesship snl uaAss - mere coatrsa -
- tAs uss ~ tAs Dsiess at which ths
0esQsety. u the 6ovesamsnt leases the
eaal laalD cad aets - any AadSos4
Vo0h. go Imposes coaditioas II tts
Saa0oo me tAoos which ars now tmpose4
~ ths svasss n Tee q coal mines IN the
vasseHs ssel rsaioas - the east. thea Il
zeal 6s0ostts . choice - % the asslgnss
q tAs isass. - of rssusaiae posssssion et
tlss go q tAs tssn q the lsass. which
hight sasa1y - framed to enable II 70
ezefclss Q limited but effective control
io tie aispsatioa and sass OF the coal 70
ne public. II has sssa urged that ~
leaalng system has never bsen adopted IN
this eountry. and that its adoption would
largely intssfers with the Investment sf
capital and ths proper development an1
opening NJ ef the coal resources. vsa-
turs to differ satirely froa this vssv.
The question a. to how srest aa ara
ought to b included In . lease - one
individual o. eorporatssn. y not free from
4imculty: but IN view q the fact that
the government rstains control a. owner.
think there might BE- some hbsrality In
the amount leassd. and that $50 aerse
would not b toe great . maximum.
by the opportunity to readjust the
BY the tenant. either At the end Of each
lease or at periods during the term. the
government may secure the bsnent Of
sharing IN the increased price Of coal and
the additional profit made BY the tenant.
BY imposdns conditions In respect TO the
mines. ths government may control the
character Of the 6svslopmsnt Of the
mines and the treatment OF employees with
rsfersncs to safety. BY denying the
right 70 transfer the lease except BY the
written permission Of the governmental
consent when II 10 proposed to transfer
the leasehoid to persons interested In -
tablishing Q monopoly OF coal production
in any state or neishborhood. The change
from the absolute grant TO the leasing
system will involve good deal Of
experts in the matter Of making proper
leases; but the change viii be . good
one and can bs made. The change 10 in
the interest Of conservation. and I am
glad to approve 1t.
Alaska Coal Lands.
The Investigation Of the geological sur
vey show that the coal properties in
| Alaska cover about 100 square miles,
| and that there are known to be available
about 1900 oo0.o 900 tons This il. however.
an underestimate Of the coal in Alaska,
| ably increase this amount many times:
but We can say with considerable GER
tainty that there are two fields on the
| Pacific slope which can BE- reached by
| railways At q reasonable cost from deep
water-in one cass about nifty miles and
in the other case Of about lto miles.
which will afford certainly 5000. 900 900
tons of coal. more than half Of which ID
Of a very high grade Of bituminous and
| Of anthracite. 1t II estimated to be worth,
in the ground, ons-half q cent q ton,
| which makes its value per acre from 80
to $500 The coking-coal lands Of Penn
sylvania are worth from $50 to 5000 an
| worth from 30 to 4S96 an acre, and the
fields in the central states from 80 ia
1900 an acre. and in the Rocky noun
tains 80 to $500 an acre. The demand for
coal on the Pacific coast 10 for about
100000 tons . year. It would encounter
the competition Of cheap fuel oil. Of
which the equivalent Of 100000 tons Of
coal . year 10 used there. 1t 10 estimated
that the coal could b laid down at Sc
| attic or San Francisco, q high-grade BIZ
| luminous. at n q ton and anthracite at
N or = . ton. Tho price Of coal on the
Pacific slope varies greatly from time to
time in the year and from year to year
supply established. the expert Of the
geological survey. Mr.. Brooks. who has
made a report on the subject. does not
think there would Be an excessive profit
In the Alaska coal mining because the
price At which the coal could be rold
| tition from these fields and by the pres
ence of crude fuel oil. The history Of the
laws affecting the disposition Of Alaska
coal lands shows them to need amend
| ment badly.
On November II. 1906. President Roose-
welt issued an executive order with
drawing all coal lands from location and
entry in Alaska. On May Is. 1907. he
modified the order 10 as to permit valid
locations made prior to the withdrawal
on November u. 1905. to proceed to entry
and patent. Prior to that date some 800
claims had been filed. most of them said
to be illegal because either made fraudu-
lently by dummy entrymen in the inter-
est OF one Individual or corporation, or
because Of agreements made prior to To-
cation between the applicants to cooperate
in developing the lands. There are -
claims for 16O acres each, known as the
cunningham claims" which are claimed