Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-09-09


these coal lands should be opened, and
that the 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 retain wise control
and interest in these coal deposits. and
think II may do so safely If congress viii
authorize the granting of leases, as al
ready suggested for government coal
lands in the United States, with provi-
stons forhidding the transfer of the
leases except with the consent of the
government, thus preventing their acqui-
sition by a combination or monopoly and
upon limitations as TO the area to be in
ciuded in any one lease 10 one Individual
and at certain moderate rental. with
royalties upon the coal mined proper
toned 10 the market value OF the coal
either at Seattle or at San Francisco. OF
course such leases should contain condi-
lions requiring the erection of proper
plants, the proper development by mod
ern mining methods of the properties
leased, and the use OF every known and
practical means and device for saving the
life of the miners.
Oil and Gas Lands.
In the last administration there were
withdrawn from agricultural entry 2S20.-
900 acres of supposed oil land in Califor-
.
Louisiana. of which only $500 acres
were known to be vacant unappropria-
ted land; 1900 acres in Oregon and ia
600 acres in Wyoming, making a total of
nearly 900 acres. In September 1909
/ directed that all public oil lands
whether then withdrawn or not. should
be withheld from disposition pending con-
gressional action, for the reason that the
existing placer mining law. although
made applicable TO deposits of this char
acter, is not suitable to such lands and
for the further reason that it seemed de-
sirabe to reserve certain fuel-oil deposits
for the use of the American navy. Ac-
cordngly the form of all existing with
drawals was changed, and new with
drawals aggregating 2,75O.00O acres were
made in Arizona. California, Colorado
New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Field
examinations during the year showed
that of the original Withdrawals. AFRO
600 acres were not valuable for oil, and
they were restored for agricultural entry.
Meantime, other Withdrawals OF public
oil lands In these states were made, so
that July /, 1910. the outstanding with
drawals then amounted to 4,55O,o00 acres,
The needed oil and gas law is essential
~ leasing law. In their natural occur
renee, oil and gas cannot be measured in
terms of acres. like coal, and il follows
that exclusive title to these products can
the surface. Oil should be disposed of as
| commodity in terms of barrels of
| transportable product rather than in
acres of real estate. This is, of course,
| the reason for the practically universal
adoption of the leasing system wherever
| oil land is in private ownership. The
| government thus would not be entering
| on an experiment but simply putting
| into effect a plan successfully operated in
| private contracts. Why should not the
| government as a landowner deal directly
| with the oil producer rather than through
| the intervention OF a middleman TO whom
the government gives title to the land?
| The principal underlying feature of
/ such legislation should be the exercise Of
| beneficial control rather than the Collec-
| tion of revenue. AS not only the largest
| owner of oil lands, but as a prospective
/ large consumer of oil by reason of the
/ Increasing use of fuel oil by the navy,
| the federal government is directly con-
/ cerned both in encouraging rational de-
[ velopment and at the same time insuring
| the longest possible life to the oil sup
| ply.
one OF the difficulties presented, espe-
| cially in the California fields, is that the
| Southern Pacific railroad owns every
| other section of land IN the oil field.
| and in those fields the oil seems TO be In
| a common reservoir, or series Of rcser~
/
| sands, so that the excessive draining of
oil at one we'll. or on the railroad terri
| tory generally would exhaust the oil In
| the government land. Hence IL is i'm
| portant that II the government is to have
its share of the oil 1t should begin the
opening of wells on its own property.
It has been suggested, and believe the
| suggestion to be sound one, that per
mits be issued to a prospector for oil
| giving him the right TO prospect for two
| years over a certain tract of government
| land for the discovery of oil. the right to
| be evidenced by a license for which he
| pays a small sum. When the oil is dis
| covered, then he acquires title to a Ger
tain tract much in the same way as he
would acquire title under mining law.
| OF course II the system Of leasing is
adopted, then he would be given the
| benefit of a lease upon terms Ike that
| above suggested. What has been said in
| respect to oil applies also to government
gas lands.
Phosphate Lands.
Phosphorus is one Of the three essen
tails to plant growth, the other elements
| being nitrogen and potash OF these
three, phosphorus is by all odds the
| scarcest element in nature II is easily
extracted in useful form from the phos-
| phate rock, and the United states CON
tains the greatest known deposits OF this
| rock in the world. They are found in
! Wyoming, Utah md Florida as well as
| in South Carolina. Georgia and Tennes-
| see. The government phosphate lands are
| confined to Wyoming. Utah and Florida.
| Prior to March A. 1909 there were 4. 900 600
acres withdrawn from agricultural entry
in the ground that the land covered pbos-
| phate rock Since that time, 2,3220o0 acres
/ Of the land thus Withdrawn was found
| not to contain phosphate in profitable