The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-09-09
Alaska Coal Lands.

The investigation of the geological sur
vey show that the coal properties in
Alaska cover about 1900 square miles,
and that there are known 20 be available
about 15000, 100000 tons. This is, however,
an underestimate of the coal in Alaska,
because further developments vii! prob
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 a reasonable cost from deep
water-in one case about fifty miles and
in the other case Of about 40 miles
which will afford certainly S,G60,O00,C0O
tons of coal, more than half OF which is
of a very high grade of bituminous and
of anthracite. 1t is estimated to be worth,
in the ground. one-half a cent ton,
which makes its value per acre from $50
to 500 The coiiing-coal lands of Penn
sylvania are worth from $500 to 5000 an
acre. while other Appalachian fields are
worth from SO to 1856 an acre. and the
fields in the central states from so to
$2,CG0 an acre. and in the Rocky noun
tains SO to $500 an acre. The demand for
coal on the Pacific coast is for about
100000 tons a year. 1t would encounter
the competition of cheap fuel oil. of
which the equivalent of 1906. coo tons of
coal year is used there. 1t is estimated
that the coal could be laid down at Sc
attic or San Francisco, a high grade BIZ
luminous. at 81 a ton and anthracite at
S. or SC a ton. The price of coal on the
Pacific slope varies greatly from time to
time in the year and from year to year
from 81 to Sl2 ton. With regular coal
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 sold
would be considerably lowered by compe-
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 IL, 1906, President Roose-
welt issued an executive order with
drawing all coal lands from location and
entry in Alaska. On May 16, 1907. he
modified the order so as to permit valid
locations made prior 10 the withdrawal
on November IL. 1896, to proceed to entry
and patent. Prior to that date some 500
claims had been fled, most of them said
20 be Illegal because either made fraudu-
,ently by dummy entrymen in the inter-
est of one individual or corporation. or
because Of agreements made prior 10 To-
cation betweenthe applicants to cooperate
IN CeNelOpl0g the lands. There are 23
claims for 10 acres each. known as the
Cunningham claims" which are claimed
to be valid on the ground that they were
made by an attorney for SO different
and bona fide claimants who. as
alleged paid their money and took the
proper steps TO locate their entries and
protect them. The representatives of the
government in the hearings before the
land office have attacked the validity Of
these Cunningham claims on the ground
that prior to their location there was an
understanding between the claimants to
pool their claims after, they had been
perfected and unite them in one COM
pany The trend of decision seems to
show that such an agreement would in
validate the claims, although under the
subsequent Law Of May Is. 1908. the con-
soldation of such claims was permitted,
after location and entry, in tracts of
1850 acres. It would be. of course, i'm
proper for me TO intimate what the re-
suit of the issue as to the Cunningham
and other Alaska claims is likely TO be.
but il ought to be distinctly understood
that no private claims for Alaska coal
lands have as yet been allowed or per-
fected, and also that whatever the result
as to pending claims. the existing coal
land laws OF Alaska are most unsatisfac-
tory and should be radically amended.
To begin with, the purchase price of the
land is a fiat rate of $40 per acre, al
though. as we have seen, the estimate of
the agent of the geological survey would