Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-05
POLICY
0. KID. BY TAFT
CONTINUED from Page one,

that time there have been withdrawn
by my order from entry for classinca-
ton 77,64S,Ooo acres, making total
withdrawal OF 95,515,O00 acres.
Meantime of the acres thus with
drawn 1871 900 have been classified
and found not to contain coal and have
been restored to agricultural entry, and
4,359000 acres have been classified as
coal lands, while 79.7SS.0oo acres re-
main withdrawn from entry and await
classification. In addition $4,000
acres have been classified as coal lands
without prior withdrawal. thus In
creasing the classified coal lands to
10, 600 acres.
The present congress. as already
said, has separated the surface OF coal
lands, either classified or withdrawn
for classification, from the coal be-
meath, SO as to permit at all times
homestead entries upon the surface
of lands useful for agriculture and to
reserve the ownership in the coal to
the government.
To Adopt New Methods.
The question which remains to be
considered is whether the existing law
for the sale OF the coal in the ground
should continue in force or be repealed
and a new method Of disposition adopt
ed.
Under the present law the absolute
title in the coal beneath the surface
passes to the grantee of the govern
ment.
The price fixed is upon an estimated
amount of the tons of coal per acre
beneath the surface, and the prices are
fixed so that the earnings will only be
a reasonable profit upon the amount
paid and the investment necessary.
But, of course, this is more or less
guesswork. and the government parts
with the ownership of the coal in the
ground absolutely.
Authorities of the geological survey
estimate that in the United States to-
day 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. OF course the
other two thousand billions are within
private ownership and under no more
control as 30 the use or the prices at
which the coal may be sold than any
other private property.
If the government leases the coal
lands and acts as any landlord would
and imposes conditions in it's leases
like those which are now imposed by
the owners in fee of coal mines in the
various coal regions of the east, then it
would retain over the disposition of
the coal deposits Il choice as to the as
signee of the lease, a power Of resum-
ing possession at the end of the term
of the lease or of readjusting terms at
fixed periods Of the lease, which might
easily be framed to enable it to exer-
else a limited but effective control in
the disposition and sale of the coal to
the public.
1t 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.
1 venture to differ entirely from this
view.
Australia's Plan.
l have looked with some care into
report made at the instance of Presi-
ident Roosevelt upon the disposition
of coal lands in Australia, Tasmania
and New Zealand. These are peculiar.
Iy mining countries, and their expert
ence ought to be most valuable. In
all these countries the method for the
and opening of coal mines
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 fifty years, while
the amount of land which may be
leased to any individual there is from
82o 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. 1t |
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 |
to one individual or corporation is not |
free from difficulty, but in view of the |
fact that the government retains con-
troll as owner I think there might be |
some hberality in the amount leased |
and that $500 acres would not be |
too great maximum. ii
Alaska Coal Lands.
The Investigations of the geological |
survey show that the coal properties |
In Alaska cover about 1000 square
miles and that there are known to be /
available about 15,000,000,OOO tons.
This is, however, an underestimate of |
the coal in Alaska, because further de-
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 &
cost from deep Water-in