The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1910-09-09

but II entries, with an area OF Ito acres
which sold for $50, $40. GO, making a dispo-
sition of the coal lands in the last two
years of about 10000 acres for $l,3oo'oW'
The present congress, as already salo'
has separated the surface Of coal lands
either classified or withdrawn for classl-
from the coal beneath. SO as 10
permit at all times homestead entries
upon the surface of lands useful Tor ag-
and to reserve the oWnersinP
in the coal to the government. Inc ques-
ton which remains to be considered 10
whether the existing law for the SAFE Oh
the coal in the ground should coh,iiu.
In force or be repealed and a new methoo
of disposition adopted. Under the pressn'
law the absolute title in the coal pc
meath the surface passes to the gran'ee
of the government. The price nAeu -
upon an estimated amount or the tohs
Of coal per acre beneath the surface any
the prices are fixed so that the earninss
will only be a reasonable profit upon the
amount paid and the investment neces-
sary. But, Of course, this Is more Or iess
guesswork. and the government PAL"
with the ownership of the coal IN tNe
ground absolutely. Authorities OF the &c
illogical survey tnat III N
United States today there Is a supply Oh
about three thousand billions or TONS =
coal. and that Of this one thousand oiiiiohs
+ III TIC ~ tilTLiA
er two thousand billions are within prlvaee
ownership and under no more controi 70
to the use or the prices at which "a.
coal may be sold than any otner pf''ao
property. If the government leases tH
coal lands and acts as any lanuiouu
would, and imposes conditions III
leases like those which are now lmposeo
bv the owners in fee Of coal mines In the
various coal regions of the east, then IL
would retain over the disposition o! lhe
coal deposits q choice as 10 the assisnee
of the lease. or of resuming possession al
the end of the term OF the lease. wnh.n
might easily be framed to enapie
| exercise a limited but effective coh.io'
| in the disposition and sale OF the coai 10
| tho Duhlic It has been urged that the
leasing system has never been adopted Ia
this country. and that it's adoption Woulu
largely interfere with the investment y.
| capital and the proper development ana
opening up Of the coal resources. L VEN
ture to differ entirely from this view
The question as to how great III dIe
ought to be included In a lease 10 one
individual or corporation. Is not free from
dif1culty. but in view Of the 1act t'at
the government retains control as oWiei'
7 think there might be some Hberahty IN
the amount leased, and that 800 acres
would not be too great a maximum.
By the opportunity to read1ust tne
terms upon which the coal shall De heiu
nv the tenant, either at the end OF each
lease or at periods during the term, the
government may secure the benent OF
sharing in the increased price of coal ana
the additional profit made by the tenant
Nv imposing conditions in respect TO the
character Of work to be done In the
mines. the government may control tle
character of the development Oh tuS
mines and the treatment of employees WIN
-fo,oa 70 cafatv Nv DENYING tlc
light to transfer the lease except by the
written permission of the governmental
authorities, 1t may Withhold the neeueo
consent when 1t is proposed to transfer
the leasehold to persons Interested In es-
tablishing a monopoly of coal producuon
in any state or neighborhood. The change
from the absolute grant TO the ieaslhs
system will involve a good deal OF
trouble in the outset, and the training OF
experts in the matter Of making proper
leases: but the change will be a gooo
one and can be made. The change Is IN
the interest. Of conservation. and l am
glad to approve 1t.
Alaska Coal Lands.
The Investigation of the geological sur.
vey show that the coal properties In
Alaska cover about 100 square miles
and that there are known 20 be available
about Is. 900, coo, 900 tons. This Is, however
an underestimate of the coal in Alaska
because further developments Will prob
ably increase this amount many times
hut we can say with considerable GER
taintv that there are two fields on the
Pacific slope which can be reached By
railways at a reasonable cost from deer
water-In one case about fifty miles ant
in the other case OF about $50 miles
which will afford certainly 6.OW,0Vo.W
tons Of coal, more than half OF which i
of a very high grade of bituminous AM
Of anthracite. 1t is estimated to be worth
in the ground, one-half a cent a ton
which makes it's value per acre from 70
70 $500. The coking-coal lands of Penn
svlyania are worth from $500 to $1,000 al
acre. while other Appalachian fields ar
worth from $40 to 1886 an acre, and tn
fields in the central states from $o I
1000 an acre, and in the Rocky noun
tains $40 to $500 an acre. The demand 10
coal on the Pacific coast is for abou
, "A. 500. 600 tons a year. 1t would encounte
> the competition Of cheap fuel OIL, {
. which the equivalent of 12.WO.VW tons c
, coal a year is used there. 1t is estimate
that the coal could be laid down at Sc
attic or San Francisco, a high-grade D
, luminous, at 81 a ton and anthracite 9
. Is or Sc a ton. The price Of coal on tn
Pacific slope varies greatly from time
. time in the year and from year to year
! from 81 to s12 a ton. With a regular co;
0 SUNNY established, the expert OF tf
geological survey, Mr.. Brooks, who he
= made a report on the subject, does m
y think there would be an excessive prof
in the Alaska coal mining because II
price at which the coal could be so
would be considerably lowered by comp
tition from these fields and by the pre-
= ence of crude fuel Oil. The history OF II
o laws affecting the disposition of Alasl
coal lands shows them to need amen
l. ment badly.
On November IL, 1906, President Roos
n Welt issued an executive order wit
drawing all coal lands from location al
e entry in Alaska. On May 16, 1907,
" modified the order so as to permit val
locations made prior to the withdraw
.. on November u, 1906, to proceed to ent
n. and patent. Prior to that date some F!
claims had been filed, most of them sa
p TO be illegal because either made fraud
90 Iently by dummy entrymen. In the int
8. est OF one individual or corporation,
because of agreements made prior to
cation between the applicants to co-opera
T. in developing the lands. There are
y. claims for 16O acres each. known as t
cunningham Claims" which are claim
to be valid on the ground that they w
made by an attorney for 80 differe
"a and bona fde claimants who,