Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-05

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| forest reservations IN every state
| where government land r. timber
| covered. or where the land Is needed
FOR forestry purposes
| LAND WITHDRAWALS.
when President Roosevelt became
| fuzzy advised OF the necessity for the
| change In our disposition of public
lands, especially those containing
coat, oil. gas, phosphatcs, or water
power sitcs. he began the exercise OF
tho power OF withdrawal by executive
order, of lands subject by law to
homestead and the other methods Of
entering for agricultural lands. The
precedent he set In this matter was
foilowed by the present administra-
ton. Doubt had been expressed In
some quarters as to the power I'm the
executive TO make such Withdrawals
The confusion and injustice likely TO
arise IN the courts were to deny the
power led me TO appeal to Congress
20 give the president the express power
Congress has compiled. The law az
passed does not expressly validate or
confirm previous Withdrawals and
therefore as soon as tho now law was
passed, myself confirmed all the
Withdrawals which had heretofore
boon made by both administrations hy
making them over again. This power
Of withdrawal Is most useful one.
and do not think It is likely TO be
abused.
COAL LANDS
The next subject, and one most I'M
portsnt for our consideration, Is the
disposition Of the coal lands In the
United states and In Alaska First. as
20 those In the United states. At the
beginning ~ this administration there
were classified coal lands amounting
10 b,A76.o00 acres, and there were
Withdrawn from entry for purposes of
classification ~, s6T 900 acres. since
that time there have been Withdrawn
by my order from entry for classifica-
ton T16+s.oo0 acres, making a total
withdrawal OF 95.b15,O 600 acres. Mean
time, OF the acres thus withdrawn, H.
S1i,oOO have been classified. and found
not 10 contain coal, and have been
restored to AGRICULTURAL entry, and
4.356,000 acres have been classified
rs coal lands. while 9.7sS. 900 acres
remain withdrawn from entry and
await classification. I'm addition S3s.-
600 acres have been classified a. coal
lands without prior withdrawal. thus
increasing tho classified coal lands to
10,l6S, 600 acres
COAL LAND PRICES.
Under the laws providing for the dis
position of coal lands. the minimum
price at which lands are permitted 10
ne SOLD IS slO an acre but the secretary
OF the interior has the power 20 AK
maximum price and o. sell at that
price. by the first regulations govern
Ing appraisal, approved Aprii g. 1907
the minimum was $40. as provided by
law, and the maximum was 800. and
the highest price actually placed upon
any land sold was SIS. Under the new
regulations, adopted April TO- 1903. the
maximum price was Increased 90 $500,
except In regions whore 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
this regulation has been S60s The APP
praised value Of lands classified as
coal lands and valued under the new
and old regulations is shown TO be as
follows: 4,303,92l acres, valued under
the old regulation at 1854. S29. an av-
erage OF SIS an acre. and 5.s64. 7O2 acres
classified and valued under the new
regulation AZ 1894, 2O3.2i2. or a total of
l0l6S.623 acres, valued at ti7i. s47.5Il
For the year ending March n, 1909
227 coal entries were made. embracing
an area Of 1881 acres. which sold for
sos, For the year ending March !
81, 1910, there were l16 entries, emhrac-
ing an area of 23413 acres, which sold |
for S60S. Sl3. and down TO August, 1910 |
there were but II entries with an area |
- l12o acres, which sold for t33eiO So |
making disposition of the coal lands |
acres for Sl.305.0O0.
COAL LAND SURFACE.
The present Congress. as already |
said, has separated the surface Of coal |
lands, either classified or withdrawn |
for classification, from the coal be- /
meath. so as to permit at all times
homestead entries upon the surface of |
lands useful for agriculture and 10 re-
serve the ownership I'm the coal tn the
government. The question which re-
mains to be considered Is whether the
existing law for the sale OF the coal I'm
The ground should continue In force or
be repealed and a new method Of dis
law the absolute title IN the coal be-
meath the surface passes TO the grantee
n the government. The price fixed is
upon an estimated amount OF the tons
lf coal per acre beneath the surface, !
and the prices are fixed so that the
earnings viii only be a reasonable
profit upon the amount paid and the
Investment necessary But Of course
his IL more or less guesswork, and
he government parts with the owner
ship of the coal In the ground absolute
y. Authorities Of the geological sur
tey estimate that In the United states
oday there Is a supply Of about 1900
billions Of tons Of coal, and that Of this.
900 billions are In the public do
main. or course. the other 2 900 billions
IRE within private ownership and under
10 more control as to the use or the
prices at which the coal may be sold |
han any other private property II |
he government leases the coal lands
md acts as any landlord would, and |
imposes conditions INF lis leases like |
hose which are now imposed by the
.Wners I'm fee OF coal mines In the Vaii-
ms coal regions OF the east. then II
would retain over the disposition Of the
oal deposits a choice ~ 10 the AS
. No. IL "a ~ yea /
ng possession at the end OF the term
n the lease. or Of readiusting terms
4 fixed periods Of the lease. which |
night easily he framed TO enable II to
NerCise % limited hut effective control |
% the disposition and sale Of the coal 10
he public. II has been urged that the
Easing system has never been adopted
n this country. and that its adoption
would largely Interfere with the in
estmcnt OF capital and the proper de- Z
elopmeut and opening up or the coal !
esOurccs venture TO differ entirely
rom this view. My Investigations show
hat many owners OF mining property
I this country do not mine II them ,
elves and do not invest their money IN I
ho plants necessary Tor the mining:
MT they lease their properties for a
ERIN OF years varying from 20 TO 30
ears. under conditions requiring the I
reCtion OF a proper plant and the ia 3
estment Of certain amount Of money I
4 the development Of the mines and I
king a rental and royalty. some {
ines an absolute figure and some Z
mes one proportioned 10 the market 9