The Chitina leader., 1911-01-21
Full TEXT Of The NELSON BILL
FOR LEASING ALASKA COAL LANDS

Following is the full text of the
Alaska coal bill introduced by Sen
ator Nelson, of Minneapolis:
"Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Con-
gress assembled: That all lands with
in the Territory of Alaska to which
patents have not been earned or to
which vested right has not been &C
quired, and which contain deposits
of coal, or of Ignite, or associated
minerals which for the purposes of
this act shall be called coal, and the
coal therein, are hereby reserved
from all forms of entry, appropria-
ton, and disposal except under the
provisions of this act: Provided,
that all other minerals in such land
shall be expressly reserved to the
United States and from disposition
under this act.
"Sec. 2. That any person more
than 81 years old, who is citizen
of the United States, or any asso-
citation or corporation of such per-
SONS, may in writing apply to the
Secretary of the Interior for a Ii
cense to prospect and explore for
coal, or for a lease to mine and ex-
tract coal from a coal deposit or
mine, on any of the lands in the
United States in the Territory of
Alaska not exceeding an area of
5000 acres in any one license or
lease, under such regulations and
limitations not inconsistent with
this act, as the Secretary of the
Interior may prescribe. The appli-
cant for such license or lease shall
in his application, if the land be
surveyed, describe the land applied
for by the subdivisions of the sur
vey, and if the land is not survey
ed, then by permanent monuments
placed at the exterior corners of the
land with the courses and distances
between the same.
To Prevent Monopoly.
"The Secretary of the Interior may
reject such application if it appears
to him that it is not made in good
faith, or that it involves purpose
to monopolize the output or supply
of coal, or to control the price OF
the same. If the Secretary of the
Interior approves of the application
for license to prospect and explore
he may on behalf of the United
States under his hand and the seal
of his office, issue to the applicant
a license to prospect and explore fol
coal. to the exclusion of any one
else, the land applied for, not ex-
sceeding an area of 5000 acres in a
compact body, for term not ex-
ceeding two years for cOmpensa-
tion of rs cents per acre for the
first year and so cents per acre for
the second year, with the privilege
of leasing, before the expiration OF
the license the coal mines or coal
deposits on the land upon the terms
and conditions hereinafter prescrib-
ed.
"Such license shall be issued in
triplicate and one copy thereof shall
be filed in the interior department,
one copy with the register of the
land office in the district in which
the lands are situate, and one copy
delivered to the licensee. The Sec
rotary of the Interior may, in his
discretion, if all the conditions OF
the license have been duly complied
with, extend the term of the license
for an additional year at compen-
-sation of 81 per acre. The hcensee
cannot assign his interest in the
license without the consent of the
Secretary of the Interior nor to any
one not qualified to obtain such Ii
'cense In the first instance; and nc
person, firm, association, or corpor-
alton shall acquire or hold, directl,
or indirectly more than one such IL
cense.
t'Sec. 8. If the Secretary of the
Interior approves of an application
Tor q lease, made as hereinbefore
prescribed, he is hereby authorized
in his discretion, under such rules
and regulations as he may prescribe
to lease. on behalf of the United
=