The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-19
Director of Geological Service
Tells Value of Survey and
Rescue Methods.
ANNUAL REPORT TREATS OF
PHOSPHATE WITHDRAWALS
Governments Future Policy
Concerning Segregation of
Tracts Is Outlined.

WASHINGTON, Dec. lS.-The fiscal
year ended Juno 30. 1910. was one OF
great activity for the United States
geological survey. as shown by the re-
port OF the director. now in press Its
account Of things undertaken and ac-
complishod and the enormous growth OF
the work during the thirty-one years OF
the surveys existence testify to the pres
ent wide and varied scope of the invcsti-
cations.
Extensive studies Of fossil shells an !
plants millions of years old may seem
10 be OF little practical use. vet they
nave proved OF the greatest help In de-
termlnng the coal horizons In the public
coal land areas and have directly con-
tributed to the progress Of the surveys
work in vigorously prosecuting the valu
alton and classification on the specific
tonnage basis OF the public coal lands
in individual i0-acre tracts
Public Land Coal Valuations
Great progress in this land classifca-
ton work during the year is shown by
The report Up 10 only a few years ago
all government coal land was sold a, the
minimum price fYed I'm the coal law.
namely. 80 or so an acre. according
to It's proximity 10 railroads, without re
gard 10 It's real value.
Under the present regulations the value
is fixed on the basis OF tonnage and
quality and appraisals have run as high
a. Sf'' At acre ana. over. during the
year, 5.6ls.7ee acres. classified as "coal
land" were valued and placed on the
market nt SSS0.9556i6. Al the minimum
rates tSed by law, the price would have
been SS,,sls ,Sss the increase thus be-
Ing nearly $500. oo0. coo.
Government coal land has thus been
placed on the market at what il is ac-
tually worth-prices which bring a fair
return 10 the government. but vet which
actually stimulate development by th,
inolEidual operator. at the same time de-
featinr monopolza,lon.
New Withdrawals Of public coal lands
for the purpose OF classification and vaiu-
alton, made principally In Montana, in
wyoming, and In the newly discovered
nelGs In Utah and Arizona. amounted
during the yesr 10 90. i25.1 12S acres The
to,al outstanding Withdrawals were so.
Seo.Gi6 acres.
Withdrawal Of Oil Lands.
In pursuance OF the policy Of securing
the best use OF the couniry's petroleum
resources. large Withdrawals. pending
legislation, OF public oil lands were made
on the surveys Recommendation, IN Ari-
iona, California. Colorado. New Mexico
Utah. and Wyoming. aggrega ting AIR
ESQ acres; but OF these and former with
drawals 2,l12,1S2 acres were restored to
entry. geologic field examination snow
ing them 10 be not valuable for oil.
The total Withdrawals az the close OF
the vera were i.5i7l2i acres. In his re-
Port the director discusses The need OF
a comprehensive oil land law; az the
pre- sent time oil lands must be entered
under the gold-placer law, which is alb
surdly inadequate. tending 10 waste and
even gross fraud.
Great activity Is shown in the with
drawal OF lands recommended by the
survey in aid Of proposed legislation
the use and disposition OF wa
ter power sites, the total Of such lands
withdrawn during the year amounted 20
l.2ls,SlS acres. Thousands OF western
power sites being affected. The total
outstanding power-slte withdrawals at
the close OF the year were 1859.
The work OF determining and cassi-
has been vigorously continued. AS Fast
as discovered. public phosphate lands
have been withdrawn from entry in tho
expectation Of federal legislation 10
fictirg mineral laws that are EMPLOYED
in acquiring these lands, and for the
further reason that tho maintenance
Of the agricultural wealth OF tho coun-
try requires that the expectation OF
these supplies Of valuable plant food be
by some effective method
Bureau of Mines
The bureau of mines having been or
ganized on July l. 1910. the director of
the geological survey takes occasion In
tcchnoloRic branch. at that date trans
ferrcd TO the new bureau. This work
began AT the Louisiana Purchase eXposi-
tion with small appropriation of $50.
and lignites OF the United States un-
der the direction OF the geological sur
Tey
Later appropriations for fuel testing
added 10 this appropriation 1885,. 600
This branch of the survey also ex-
pended $il2.50 for the investigation OF
structural materials and $500 600 for in
yestigations OF mine accidents
On July the fuel testing and mine
accident work transferred by act
Of congress 10 the new bureau OF mines.
the structural material work going 10
the bureau of standards.