The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-09-09

that the PACING slope should Do gwen tne
benent OF the comparatively cheap coal
OF nne quality which can be furnished at
a reasonable price from these fields; but
the public, through he government,
ought certainly to retain a wise control
and interest In these coal deposits, and I
think IL may do so safely II congress VIII
authorize the granting OF leases, az al
ready suggested for government coal
lands In the United States, with previ-
sIons forbidding the transfer OF the
leases except with the consent OF the
government, thus preventing their acaui-
sition by a combination or monopoly and
upon limitations as to the area to be In
Guided in any one lease to one Individual,
and at a certain moderate rental. with
royalties upon the coal mined proper
toned to the market value OF the. coal
either AT Seattle or at a Francisco. OF
course such leases should contain condi-
tionE requiring the erection OF proper
plants, the proper development by mod
srn mining methods OF the properties
leased, and the use Of every known and
practical NEAR and device for saving the
life OF the miners.
Oil and Gas Lands.
In the last administration there were
withdrawn from agricultural entry 2ST,-
700 acres OF supposed oil land in CAlifoT-
MIA: about a million and a half acres in
Louisiana, OF which only s,HR acres
were known to be vacant unapprepriR-
ted land; B,o0e acres In Oregon and 17+,-
80 acres in Wyoming. making q total Of
nearly 100000 acres. In September, 1905,
I directed this all public oil lands,
whether then withdrawn or not, should
be withheld from disposition pending con-
ErsssionAl action, for the reason that the
existing placer mining law. although
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aetsr, 10 not suitable to such lands. and
for the further reason that It seemed de-
sirablS to reserve certain fuel-on deposits
for the Use OF the American nAVy Ac-
coTdingly the form OF all existing with
Awa was changed, and new with
drawals a~ggregSting 2.75oWo acres were
made in Arizona, California, Colorado,
New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Field
examinations during the year showed
that Of the original Withdrawals, 2.10.-
600 acres were not valuable for OIL, and
they were restored for agricultural entry.
Meantime, other Withdrawals Of public
oil lands in these states were m&ds. 30
that July /. 1910, the outstanding with
drawals then amounted to $50 900 acres.
The needed oil and gas law is essential.
~ n leasing law. In their natural occur
renee oil and gas cannot be measured IN
terms OF acres, like coal, and 1t follows
that exclusive title TO these products can
normally be secured only after they reach
the surface. Oil should be disposed Of as
q commodity IN terms of barrels OF
transportable product rather than in
acres Of real estate. This is, Of course.
the reason for the practically universal
adoption OF the leasing system wherever
oil land Is in private ownership. The
government thus would not be entering
on an experiment, but simply putting
into effect a plan successfully operated In
private contracts. Why should net the
government as a landowner cal directly
with the oil producer rather than through
the Intervention OF q middleman to whom
the government gives title to the land?
The principal underlying feature of
such legislation should be the exercise of
beneficial control rather than the collec-
ton OF revenue. As not only the largest
owner of oil lands, but as a prospective
large consumer Of oil by reason Of the
use OF fuel oil by the avy
the federal government Is directly con-
csrned both in encouraging rational de-
velopment and at the same time insuring
the longest possible life to the oil sup
ply.
One of the difficulties presented. espe-
cially in the California fields. Ia hat the
Southern Pacific railroad owns every
other section Of land In the oil field,
and in those feldE the oil seems to be In
a common reservoir, or series OF reser-
voirs, communicating through the oil
sands, 30 hat the excessive draining OF
oil at one we'll, or on the railroad terri
tory generally, would exhaust the oil In
the government land. Hence IL is i'm
portant that II the government IL to have
its share OF the oil II should begin the
opening OF wells on its own property,
II has been suggested, and ! believe the
suggestion to be q p0und enc, that per
mits be issued to a prospector for oil
giving him the right to prospect for two
years ever a certain tract OF government
lana fer the discovery Of oil. tina right to
be evidenced by a license for which he
pays q small sum. When the oil IL dis
severed. then he acquires title to a GER
tain tract, much In the same way an he
would acquire title under a mining law.
Of course II he system OF leasing 10
aAepted then he would be given the
bensft of a lease upon terms like hat
above suggested. What has been said in
respect. TO oil applies also TO government
gas lands.
Phosphate Lands.
Phosphorus is one OF the three essen
tials to plant growth. the other elements
being nitrogen and potash. OF these
three. phosphorus Is by al odds the
scarcegt element In nature. IL 10 easily
extracted In useful form from the phos-
phate rock, and the United States con-
tains the greatest known deposits OF this
rock in the world. They are found In
wyoming, Utah and Florida, an well as
In South Carolina, Georgia and Tonnes
see. The government phosphate lands are
confined to wyoming, Utah and Florida.
Prior to March 4, 1903, there were 1900, 900
acres withdrawn from agricultural entry
in the ground that the and covered phos-
plate rock. Since that time, RAE. 600 acres
OF the and thus withdrawn was found
not to contain phosphate in profitable
quantities. while ], s7S. 900 acres was CLASH
fed properly as phosphate lands. During
this administration there has been with
drawn and classified 437, 900 acres, 50 that
to-day there Is classified as phosphate reck
land 2,115, 900 acres. This rock 10 NEST
important In the composition OF fertiiixers
TO improve the soil. and as tho future in
certain TO create an enormous demana
throughout this country for fertilization.
the value to the public Of such deposits
as these can hardly be exaggerated. Ger
tainly with respect to these deposits q
careful policy of conservation should DO
followed. A. law that would provide a
leasing system for the phosphate depos-
Its, together with a provision for the sep
araton Of the surface and mineral rights
as is already provided for in the case OF
coal. would seem to meet the need OF
promoting the development OF these de-
posits and their utilization I'm the agri-
cultural lands OF the west. II II -
thought desirable to discourage the expor-
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