The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-02
SECRETARY FISHER
ANSWERS MONQELL
Resents Criticism of Depart
ment's Policy in Valuation
OF Coal Lands.
SAYS PRICES ARE FAIR
Object of the Government
Declared to Be Preven-
ton of Monopoly.
SAYS PRICES ARE FAIR

CHICAGO. Oct i.-Maintaininc that
the policy Of the United States govern
n,ent with relation TO the valuation of
the public coal lands is not open 10 the
Criticisms against ii and that IL is de-
signed 10 prevent monopoization and to
encourage development. Walter l.. Fisher.
secretary Of the interior. tonight made
public his reply to the protests against
that policy submitted 10 him last June
Dy Representative Frank w, MondelI of
Representative Monden charged Thar
Prices fl@ed by the government were pro-
Industry in the west. resulted in increas.
ing the cost OF coal 10 the consumer
from 30 cents TO 81 a ton and created
a monopoly.
Mr., Mondell also said that prices for
coal lands in all the working fields run
from Sl50 10 $500 an acre. that millions
OF acres arc rated al values above $50
an ara acre. In ] tns6 prices in the better heds
,neEcla. practice in the same fields or
lor better grade Goals In eastern fields.
Fishers Opinion.
All these allegations Secretary Fisher.
aI1er borough study. submits as ZAP
parentiy based on misrepresentation as
as TO the prices placed on coal lands
and as to the effect which the classifi-
lands. p''''e
The prices now fixed" Secretary Fish.
er continued. ARE designed not TO crente
monopoly in the hands OF present owners
OF coal lands, but To prevent monopoly
by making 1t unpro1tahle To purchase
large areas for indefinite holding With
out development
This. In fact. is the constant aim OF
tne department. I'm the prices which it
them low enough so as to encourage
purchases for immediate development,
yet sufficiently high so as to discourage
speculation or for monopolization
Prices prohibiting development would
be inimical To the present interests OF
the vest. prices permitting purchases
With View 10 ronopolization would be
fnimical 10 ther future interests The
sole object. therefore, is so to value the
lands as TO permit development and 10
prohibit speculation.
Says Prices Not Too High.
I'm view Of all the facts. however I.
placed upon the public coal lands are
neither unreasonable nor eHorbitant, and
that the increase in the sale OF coal
lands for the four-yesr fiscal period sub
with the preceding four-year period to-
gether with the present condition OF the
western coal Industry, demonstrates con-
clusively that the present classification
policy Is not open 10 criticism which
you make
Secretary Fisher suggests that liberal
but wisely protected leasing law might
be found to promote development more
vigorously than any system of outright
purchase. such as has been the case in
Australia and New Zealand. and adopted
by Canada In IT'S Yukon territory.
Referring TO Mr. MopdeIl's charge that
millions of acres are rated at values
above $50 an acre as "the highest price
paid' by coal purchasers, Secretary
Fisher says there cannot he millions OF
acres OF classified lands so created, since
only 16. n00. 900 acres Of coal lands In the
nir,y hai, han rnrIHn 10, ILL