The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-09-05

of coal lands in Australia, Tasmania
and New Zealand These are peculiar
" mining countries, and their expert
ence ought TO be most valuable In
all these countries the method for the
disposition and opening Of coal mines
originally owned by the government is
by granting leasehold and not by
granting an absolute title.
The terms of the leases run all the
way from twenty to City years. while
the amount of land which may be
leased to any individual there is from
800 acres to 1000 acres. 1t appears
that full examination was made and
the opinions Of all the leading experts
on the subject were solicited and Civ
en- and that with one accord they ap.
proved in all respects the leasing sys-
tenn.
Its success is abundantly shown. It
Is possible that at first considerable
latitude will have to be given to the
executive in drafting these forms of
lease. but as soon as experiment shall
show which is the most workable and
practicable its use should be provided
for specifically by statute.
| The question as to how great an
area ought to be included in a lease
10 one individual or corporation is not
free from difficulty, but in view Of the
fact that the government retains con-
troll as owner l think there might be
some liberality in the amount leased
and that $500 acres would not be
too great maximum.
Alaska Coal Lands.
The Investigations Of the geological
survey show that the Goa, properties
in Alaska cover. about 1900 square
miles and that there are known to be
available about 15.o0o0o0,OO0 tons.
This is, however. an underestimate Of
the coal in Alaska, because further de.
velopneuts will probably increase this
amount many times. but we can say
with considerable certainty that there
| are two fields on the Pacific slope
which can be reached by railways at a
/ reasonable cost from deep water-in
one case Of about fifty miles and in
the other case Of about 150 miles
which will afford certain 0,0O0 Ooo, 600
tons or coal, more than half Of which
is OF a very high grade Of bituminous
and of anthracite.
1t is estimated to be worth in the
ground one-half cent a ton, which
makes its value per acre from $50 to
$500. The cozing coal lands OF Penn.
sylvania are worth from $500 to $4,000
nm acre, while other Appalachian fields
are worth from $40 to 1886 an acre,
and the fields in the central states
from $40 to $1,000 an acre, and in the
Rocky mountains $40 to $500 an acre.
The demand for coal on the Pacific
coast is for about 100000 tons a year.
1t would encounter the competition of
cheap fuel oil, OF which the equivalent
OF 100000 tons of coal a year are
used there.
1t is estimated that the coal could be
laid down at Seattle or San Francisco,
a high grade bituminous, at 81, a ton
and anthracite at IS or Sc ton. The
price of coal on the Pacific slope va
ries greatly from time to time in the
year and from year to year from 81
to $12 ton. With a regular coal sup
ply established, the expert of the geo.
logical survey, Mr.. Brooks, who has
made report on the subject, does not
think there would be an excessive
profit in the Alaska coal mining, be-
cause the price at which the coal could
be sold would be considerably lowered
by competition from these fields and
by the presence Of crude fuel oil. The
history Of the laws affecting the dispo-
sition of Alaska coaI lands shows them
to need amendment badly.
The Cunningham Claims.
On Nov. u. 1906, President Roose.
Welt issued an executive order with
drawing all coal lands from location
and entry in Alaska. On May 10, 1907,
he modified the order so as to permit
valid locations made prior to the with
drawal on Nov. IL, 1906. to proceed to
entry and patent.
Prior to that date some 600 claims
had been filed. most OF them said to
be illegal because either made fraudu-
lently by dummy entrymen in the in
terest of one individual or corporation
or because of agreements made prior
to location between the applicants to
cooperate in developing the lands.
There are thirty-three claims for 16O
acres each, known as the Cunning
ham claims" which are claimed to be
valid on the ground that they were
made by an attorney for thirty-th
di5erent and bona hde claimants, who,
as alleged. paid their money and took
the proper steps TO locate their entries
and protect them.
The representatives OF the govern
mept In the hearings before the land
ONCE have attacked the validity OF
these Cunningham claims on the
ground that prior to their location
there was an understanding between
the claimants to pool their claims after
they had been perfected and unite
them in one company. The trend OF
decision seems to show that such IN
agreement would invalidate the claims
although under the subsequent law OF
May %. 1908, the consolidation OF sucl
claims was permitted, after location
and entry. in tracts of $500 acres.
1t would be. Of course. improper fol
me to intimate what the result Of thu
issue as to the Cunningham and other
Alaska claims is likely to be, but II
ought to be distinctly understood that
no private claims for Alaska coal lands
have rs vet beer allowed or perfected