The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1910-09-09


which sold fo1 g. 5000. making . dispo-
sition OF the coal lands In the last two
years OF about eo.ooo acres for q. 30. 900.
The present congress, ~ already said.
has separated the surface OF coal lands.
either classified or withdrawn for CLASSIC
fication. from the coal beneath. 20 IS to
permit at all times homestead entries
upon the surface Of lands useful for ag-
riculture 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 tho ground should continue
in force or be repealed and q new method
Of disposition adopted. Under the present
law the absolute title In the coal be-
meath the surface passes to the grantee
OF the government. Tho price fixed II
upon an estimated amount OF the tons
OF coal per acre beneath the surface, and
the prices are fixed 30 that the earnings
will only be q reasonable profit upon the
amount paid and the investment neces-
sary. But. Of course. this Il more or less
guesswork. and the government parts
ground absolutely. Authorities Of the ge-
illogical survey estimate that In the
United States today there Is a supply Of
about three thousand billions OF tons of
coal. and that Of this one thousand billions
are In the public domain. or course, the 9TH
er 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 as 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
various coal regions OF the east. then II
would retain over the disposition OF the
HNa at A. ~ ayxxvxn
of the lease. or OF resuming possession at
the end OF the term OF the lease. which
might easily be framed to enable IL to
exercise a limited but effective control
in the disposition and saie of the coal to
the public. II 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. I 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. ~ not free from
difficulty; but in view Of the fact that
the government retains control rs owner,
I think there might be some liberaiity In
the amount leased. and that $500 acres
would not be too great a maximum.
By the opportunity to readjust the
terms upon which the conf 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 tha 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
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
one and can be made. The change IL 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 100 square miles,
and that there are known 70 be available
about Is. 0oo. oo0. 600 tons. This Is. however,
because further Developments Will prob
ably increase this amount many times:
but We can say with considerable GER
tainty that there are two fields on the
Pacific slope which can be reached by
at reasonable cost from deep
one case about fifty miles and
In the other case of about $50 miles
which will afford certainly 5000. COO 900
tons Of coal. more than half of which is
Of very high grade OF bituminous and
OF anthracite. 1t is estimated to be worth,
In the ground. one-hnlf n cent a ton,
which makes Its value per acre from $50
to 500. The coking-coal lands OF Penn
sylvania are worth from $500 to 5000 an
acre. while other Appalachian fields are
worth from SO to s3s6 an acre. and the
fields in the central states from $40 to
8. 900 an acre, and In the Rocky noun
tatns SO to $500 an acr&. The demand for
coal on the Pacific coast In for about
|. 900 tons year. It would encounter
the competition OF cheap fuel oil. of
which the equivalent OF l2.000 900 tons OF
coal year 10 used there. II Is estimated
that the coal could be laid down at Sc
attic or San Francisco. a high-grade BIZ
luminous. at "a a ton and anthracite at
IS or % ton. The price Of coal on the
Pacific slope varies greatly from time to
time In the year and from year to year
from 81 to 81 ton. With a regular coal
supply estaDusned. the expert OF the
geological survey. Mr.. Brooks. who has
made report on the subject. does not
think there would be an excessive profit
In the Alaska coal mining because the
price at which Me coal could be sold
would be considerably lowered by compe-
tition from these fields and by the pres
ence Of crude fuel oil. Tho history OF the
laws affecting the disposition OF Alaska
coal lands shows them to need amend
ment badly.
On November II. 1905. President Roose-
Welt issued an executive order with
drawing all coal lands from location and
entry In Alaska. On May l6. 1907 he
modified the order 20 ~ to permit valid
locations made prior to the withdrawal
on November IL. 1905. to proceed to entry
and patent. Prior to that date some 800
claims had been filed. most of them said
10 be Illegal because either made fraudu-
lently by dummy entrymen In the inter-
est of ono individual or corporation. or
because Of agreements made prior to To-
sation between the applicants to cooperate
In developing the lands. There are 90
claims for 16o acres each. known as the
Claims" which are claimed
to be valid on the ground that they were
made by an attorney for g different