The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-09-08


area Of 3Sil3 acres. which sold for $685.
Ms. and down to August 1910 there were
hut II entries with an area OF l.72O acres,
which sold for SS3,9i0.6o. making a dispo-
slton OF the coal lands In tile last two
years OF about 10000 acres for 81. $4,000.
the present congress. as already said,
mas separated the surface of coal lands.
either classified or withdrawn for classl-
hcaton, from the coal beneath. so as TO
| permit at all times homestead entries
upon the surface of lands useful for ag-
rlculture and to reserve the ownership
In the coal to the government. The ques-
| ton which remains to be considered 10
whether the existing law for the sale of
| the coal In the ground should continue
| In force or be repealed and n new method
| OF disposition adopted. Under the present
| law the absolute title In the coal be-
meath the surface passes to the grantee
| or the government. The price fixed is
| upon an estimated amount OF the tons
| OF coal per acre beneath the surface and
| the prices are fixed so that the earnings
| VIII only he n reasonable profit upon the
| amount paid and the investment neces-
sary. But, OF course this is more or less
| guesswork, and the government parts
| with the ownership OF the coal In the
ground absolutely. Authorities of the ge-
illogical survey estimate that in the
United states today there IL n supply of
| about three thousand billions of tons OF
| coal. and that Of this one thousand billions
| are in Tho public domain. or course. the 9TH
| err two thousand billions are within private
| ownership and under no more control rs
| to the use or the prices at which the
| coal may be sold than any other private
| property. II the government leases the
coal lands and acts ms any landlord
| would. and imposes conditions in its
| leases like those which are now imposed
| by the owners In fee of coal mines in the
| 49, lac 60 tlnr
| would retain over the disposition of the
| coal deposits a choice as 20 the assignee
| OF the lease, or of resuming possession AT
| the end Of the term OF the lease, which
| might easily be framed to enable 1t to
| exercise limited but effective control
| In the disposition and safe OF the coal to
| the public. 1t 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 and the proper development and
| opening up OF the coal resources. l ven
| ture TO differ entirely from this view.
| The question as to how great an area
| ought to be included In a lease to one
| individual or corporation. is not free from
| difficulty; hut I'm view of the fact that
| the government retains control as owner,
| | think there might be some liberality In
| the amount leased. and that $500 acre.
/ would not he too great a maximum.
BY the opportunity to readjust the
| terms upon which the coal shall be held
| by the tenant. either at the end of each
| lease or at periods during the term. the
| government may secure the benefit OF
sharing in the increased price of coal and
| the additional profit made by the tenant.
| BY imposing conditions in respect to the
| character of work to be done in the
| mines the government may control the
| character of the development of the
mines and the treatment of employees with
| reference to safety. BY denying the
right to transfer the lease except by the
| written permission of the governmental
| authorities, 1t may withhold the needed
| consent when II is proposed to transfer
| the leasehold to persons Interested In es-
| tablishing a monopoly of coal production
| in any state or neighborhood The change
| from the absolute grant TO the leasing
| system will involve good deal of
trouble in the outset, and the training of
| experts in the matter of making proper
| leases; but the change will be n good
one and can be made. The change is in
| the interest of conservation, and ! am
! glad to approve 1t.
Alaska Coal Lands.
The investigation of the geological, sur
vey show that the coal properties in
Alaska cover about 1900 5uuare miles.
| and that there are known 20 be available
about 1900 100000 tons This is, however,
an uiuei est i Vi we coui III A'aska'
| ptIaHse l"ilnet ueNeiop'ieh'S WIZ prop-
Amy increase tllis anloui'' many tunes
put we can say WIN corsiuerapie Ger
tai"tS 'ha' 'he,e are t"o heius On the
| racine s'ope whlch can ne 'eacheu ny
railways III reasollapie cost rom ueep
| W"ter-ih one case uoou' my mics uhu
III 'ne otner Case Oh ABOUT loo ni anos1o
winch WIN "holu certulhiy o'WV'oVy'w
tohs Vi uoali n'ole 1i'il' naii W WITCH -
W n's - ai. ~ VI, ~. Nv anu
" ~ 70 ,i@ W
~ VIC $50 a., n,,," =" ss g. "a 'V a.
" srno IT, ~ W, % p 10 gov
" 49, ~, 80. s"no .. % 900 m ~.
~ IT IT,. uir, az 80
" - ESQ sGee , a.,
~, - '.,. Wv ~ ''' a. ~ 90 %.
so cuo -, wv ia ~ p a'U,, Wv ~
|-uv 90 90 80 "I' Ia Wv, 80 ny
'',' W ~ Wv" go 81 a. '.'',' ~
90 20 oN ~" .ie 10 ~ w
ai'v''Vou .ois - "o'i - ~
snJ ,tp ,',,,o,,,,. ar 30 ooo COO ,e,,
"Ht'n Wv lt W 10000 .o''o
tou. seal 10 useu '.e' 70 es'",,'' s
IN we e .ua' , c"u'u We 'a'I Nv a, ,'i
| 80 80 ., 20 ,,,, -.
.. 49, 90 rt IT. % 800, ~, .ha