New-York tribune., 1910-09-06

cultural lands. The precedent he set IN this
matter was followed By the present auhlh-
istration. Doubt had been expressed in some
quarters as to the power In the EAecuuNe tS
make such withdrawals. The CONFUSION and
| injustice likely TO arise II the courts were
| to deny the power led me 10 appeal TO Con-
SresS 10 give the President the express
| power Congress has complied The law
as passed does not expressly Ianoate or
confirm previous Withdrawals, and there,
! fore as soon as the new law was passed
| myself confirmed all the withdrawals
| when had heretofore been maqe py @ ooeil
! again. This power OF withdrawal is most
useful one. and I do not think 1t IS hkeiy
| to be abused.
Coal Lands.
The next subject and one most important
for our consideration. is the disposition OF
the coal lands in the United states ana III
Alaska. First, TO those in the United
States. At the beginning of this administra-
ton there were classified coal lands amount
ing TO 6,47G,0G0 acres, and there were with
drawn from entry SOr purposes OF ClaSS1n-
cation 17.661,000 acres. Since that time there
| have been withdrawn by my order from
entry for classification U,64S,Ga acres, max
ing g total withdrawal of S5.5l5pG0 acres
Meantime, of the acres thus TlthdCaWn
11,37l eco have been classified and found not
10 contain coal, and have been restored to
agricultural entry, ana 4,356000 acres nave
been classified as coal lands, while 19,lSSO0n
await classification. In addition S}6,OC1 acres
have been classified as coal lands without
prior withdrawal, thus increasing the clas-
sitied coal land to 10.l6S,10p acres
Under the laws providing for the dispo-
SitiOn Of coal lands the minimum price st
which lands are permitted 10 be sold Is
so an acre: but the Secretary of the In
terror has the power TO fix q maximum
price and to sell at that price. BY the first
reSuIations governing appraisal approved
April s. 1907. the minimum was $40, as pro
and the highest price actually placed upon
any land sold was $75. Under the new reg
ulations, adopted April 10, 1909. the maxi
mum price was increased to $500, except in
regions where there are large mines, where
no maximum limit is fixed and the price IS
determined by the estimated tons of coal
to the acre. The highest price fixed for
any land under tils regulation has been
Sf0s The appraised value of the lands
classified as coal lands and valued under
the new and old regulations Is shown TO
be as follows: 4303921 acres. valued under
of SIS an acre, and 1854, ,7O2 acres, classified
and valued under the new regulation at
$4,000 242. or a total of lo,l6S,623 acres val
ued at s471 ,S47.571-
For the year ended March 81. 1909. 227
coal entries were made, -embracin an area
Of 1881 acres, which sold for 1868, ,oeo 40.
For the year ended March 81. 1910. there
were 176 entries. embracing an area of 2. 4l5
acres, which sold for s603.S13. and down to
August, 1870 there were only II entries,
with an area of 1,120 acres, which sold for
$33910 60, making disposition. of the coal
lands in the last two years of about 10000
acres for S1305,000.
Classification of Coal Lands.
The present Congress, as already said,
has separated the surface OF coal lands,
either classified er withdrawn for classif-
permit at all times homestead entries upon
the surface of lands useful for agriculture
and to reserve the ownership in the coal to
the government. The. question which re-
mains 10 be considered is whether the eX-
listing law for the sale of the coal IN the
ground should continue in force or be re-
pealed and a new method Of disposition
adopted. Under the present law the alb
soIute title in the coal beneath The surface
passes 10 the grantee of the government;
The price fixed is upon an estimated
amount Of the tons Of coal an acre be
meath the surface. and the prices are fixed
so that the earnings will only be a reason
investment necessary. But, of course. THIS
is more or less guessWork. and the govern
in the ground absolutely. Authorities or
the Geological Survey estimate that In the
United States to-day there is supply OF
about three thousand billions or tons OF
coal and that of this one thousand billions
are in the public domain. OF course, the
other Two thousand billions are within pri-
vate ownership and under no more control
as TO the use or the prices at which the
coal may be sold than any other private
property. If the government leases t3e
coal lands and acts as any landlord would,
and imposes conditions in its leases ike
those which are now imposed by the own,
ers in fee Of coal mines in the varlous coal
regions OF the East. then II would retain
over the disposition of the coal deposits a
choice as to the assignee Of the lease,
power Of resuming possession at the END or
the term Of the lease, or Of readjusting
terms at fixed periods of the lease. which
might easily be framed to enable II 10 ex-
erCise a limited but effective control IN the
disposition and sale of the coal to the pub
lie 1t has been urged that the leasing
system has never been adopted in TINS
country and that its adoption would largely
interfere with the investment OF capltal
and the proper development and opening up
of the coal resources. I venture to differ
entirely from this view. My Investigations
show that many owners of mining property
of this country do not mine it themselves,
and do not invest their money in the plants
necessary for the mining: but they lease
their properties for term Of years, vary
ing from twenty 70 thirty and forty years.
under conditions requiring the erection or a
proper plant and the investment OF q GER
tain amount of money in the deYeloprnent
of the mines and fixing a rental ana roy,
aItv sometimes an absolute nsure ana
sometimes one prGportoned TO the market
value of the coal Under this latter method
the owner Of the mine shares in the pros
perity OF his lessees when coal is nigh ana
the profits good, and also shares TO some
extent in their disappointment when the
price of coal falls.
LEASING Of Coal Mines.