Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-03
THE COAL FIELDS
Should All Be Developed
With Due Adherence
To The Principle Of ConseTva-
tim1, Says Com. bennett.
But Slight Reference to 8aIIinger-
Pinch0t Matter.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 2.-Developmen
OF thu cod fields both in Alaska AMI
the INIT States, with duo adhere ncp
20 the princible, of conservation" is
! strongly urged by Commissioner Den
nett, of til" General Land Office. in his
annual report to the Secretary of tho
| Interior made public today. He wants
the coal delivered To the bins Of tn
Ultimate consumer At che cheapest
possible p;ice. but at the same tine
wants legislation which you'll prevent
he fields falling into the hands of the
monauolies.
1t is imp, atty" he says. Una:
new rislatien be passed covering the
| disposition Of ecal lLnas III Alaska and
III the nited States. Tie inadeQhacl
| IF the pre- sent la@s is UNIVERSAL! cor
cedcd. This proposition. there fore,
leeds ne argument. The progress of
enhancement in he Vest is being re
art"u Ill DIR present conditions by tn,
iifliapity ia thr successful opening "t
new r.inrs under legislation as il OK
sts tnday. Competition las been
.hct,.rd. TIN consumer is having to
pay, L creforc. \ greater price than il
Would be reasonable t. expect he could
rave to pay if it wcro possible to opel
eW mites under legislation which
Honli encourage t." development of
this resource
"Leeisla,ion, haAev which would
not retain in the United states the
right of supervision over the market
il g Of the product. Would ut a mis-
tiEe. az continues. To throw tlIi-
resource open SO that the coal depns-
IL would ultimately pass into I'll,
lancS Of the ,nonnpoiies and trusts
WOULD lie To render the conditions
worse than they are a. presen, Con-
gress, therefore. should carefully
guard the enactment on legislation.
and see 10 ii that the requisite control
is retained in tine United States, 81
that = combination for the purposes Of
unjustly advancing prices can be
eheo ked through government super
vision.
The abolition OF the positions of reg
lister aid receiver i'll the local land Of
fees and the creation OF one position
III lieu of the two. is recommended.
This course. he says, would result in
considerable saving as we'll as better
administration. Under the present
systerl both officers are responsible
for the work OF the office.
TIL substitution If a bonded clerk
for the register and receiver is urged
which, With the difference between
sc pronosed salary ana the salary
now paid to receivers would amount
-. Il ,..,lns to the g vernment OF
bout <1:,5 o0l, according to Ia" re-
port.
The only reference in the report to
the Ballinyer- Pinchot investigation is
confined in the paragraph declaring
that the amount OF work performed
during the past fiscal year Was great
er than during the preceding year.
The total cash receipts from the
sales OF public lands, including fees
and commissions on both original AMI
final entrics for the fiscal wear 1910.
We're sS,37l .G31. the report says. Mis-
cellaneous receiI is were as follows:
From sales of Indian lands. s. 49,, ,5l;
reclams.t ton water-right charges. %''1.-
$50; d, u Cations ON public lands
sales "l government property. aAd co
pies OF records end plats, a2Nl,l4S,
making the aggregate total "t cash
receipts of this bureau during tho tiS
cal year 1910, Sll ,463.9222. "a decrease ot
S752, 49l from the fiscal year 1899.
The aggregate expenditures ana es-
tlmated liabilities of the pubic land
service. including expenses ot district
land Offices. were -, l79 .363, leaving -
net surplus of $S.2S4560.
The total area of public and. Indian
land originally entered during the ifs:
cal year 1910 is. according 20 tn re
port. 26,391,269 acres. an increase Of
o,4,o. $50 acres, as compared with the
area entered during the year 1909. This
large increase Is due to the great
number of entries made in the North
vest, principally in thu State of Nor
| ttna. who're. It tre Office Great rats,
.' go .o.,~""ina; rs much
land entered dr,ng the past i3 al
| ..,l,i.il. ..rui ~, as there was II