The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-03
IlS.LE 7 TER
10 sECRET ETARY
r,sntative MondeIl of
,.uing Against Policy of
interior Department.
rs FOR WESTERN
COAL LANDS TOO HIGH
,,ssnlan Says 1t Is Difficult
|niseuss the Subject in a
Respectful Way.

KeSpeCuui T" "y'
% The Tribune
'mNGToN. July ?.-Mr, Mondell
n,sn q letter TO the secretary OF
IA, nrotesting against the pres
,v Of high valuations of govern
=, lands and requesting the Sec
!. -1ve the matter his considcra-
yJow of modifying the policy
e nraynils. In his letter Mr..
,s,Is attention To the fact that
,.ersss fixed minimum prices OF
! "a rer acre upon coal lands, de-
rron the distance from rallroad.
system Of classifying coal lands
Ming nrices above the minimum
.,srssS , in 1907 ii,473.G09 acres OF
:sys been classified al prices which
~ s5sS tSS341. Referring to this
IN valuation Mr.. Mondeil says:
-sye statement OF an increase In
I. n nearly three times that fixed
s,st,iie does not, however. give
nc idea Of the actual conditions
T.Js where coal Is being mined,
rrb localities the classified price
I'm 10 twenty-five times the sta
'Sns Of the policy Of valuation,
.,5ell says
Il /, difficult, To discuss ;he sub
an entirely dispassionate and
XII way. for To characterize the
rrj procedure which has been pur-
! what believe to be a fitting
would require the use Of Ian
rore iorceful and pointed than l
use In a communication OF this
"a"
7.nr 10 the high classified prices.
|'-dsll says:
Ridiculous Action.
perhaps a matter of no present
II consequence. though rather
81 that lands containing, or which
csed TO contain by the geological
A Ignite coal Of poor or medium
and so remote from transportation
<s;sels as 10 have no present value
y. should be valued at hundreds
Is per acre, hut il is a matter OF
|iihess immediate Importance that
|sjs In the vicinity OF means OF
4 th.er1rlsing men are willing to
( chance Of finding a market. are
u prices which prohibit develop
ueaie 4 monopoly In the mines
/ b operation. and thus materially
[f the price Of coal TO the con-
4 u country having millions OF
. G coal lands. The net result OF
ratification policy In the Rocky
~ region has been To prohibit the
4 Of uew mines and 10 increase The
III c'al 70 the consumer from fifty
. 8 dollar a ton"
Ncade, calls attention to the fact
|ct prohihiiorv nature OF the pres
hnd prices ranging as they do
x ;he better fields from 500 TO
~ acre Is proven by the fact that
sifsi priced coal lands which the
pnt has So far disposed OF is
~ acre. eighty acres having been
~ Of at that price. eighty acres
q 7eT acre. and only about 5000
al al prices above s3j per acre
q the states in which there are
|rAl lands
Higher Than in the East.
Rcndell calls attention to the fact
prices al which coal lands have
nsniied are much higher Than
owners In states IKE Illinois,
~ Tennessee and Virginia which
- much better access TO markets.
ihs coal In their lands. much Of
ga higher grade than the west
n. mat in fact except In rare
me eastern anthracite and high
LUMINOUS fields whore lands are
1ny advnalagcousiv located FOR
tqing. 10 such prices have ever
nlned for coal lands as the gov
how asking for It's coal lands
@s0ceIl denounces this government
oc1ng unfair ana unjust and
Il secretary to see that the policy
rrel He calls attention 70 the
uHse eXorni,apt coal land prices
~ mad the approval OF con-
,ne formal Endorsement of any
~ INC government: they have
SVsh out Of the activities OF the
survey. and that II has been
IA mat thc deicrrlinatlO Of the |
~ ioIec coal leasing system OH
.tssH IS largely responsible for The
- prices AT which coal lands
ga Classified.
Makes Suggestion.
S'sslon Mr.. Mondcli states that
'Heetcd that the government
'g the former system OF SELL
ls Al the minimum prices.
|6S a,sesis that II lands are TO he
we Prices fixed should only
[szl,,pIsh 10 discourage purchases
,-uoli' and not so high as 20 Law
~ upon the coal dovclopmcut OF
or upon the people who must
t. and he states that in his
1,,,r,g from the experience OF
4 ~ under the classification
|shl ,s'eraI years. tho maximum
N ", vac possible exception of very
E puohal cases. should not be
- ~. acre instead OF nearly $500
-. under the present policy.