Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-16
PRACTICAL CONSERVATION.
Great Activity in the Study and
Classification Of the Coal, Oil, Phos-
phste and Water Power Resources
of the Public Domain.

Uncle Sam is still the largest owner
of coal lands, oil lands, phosphate
lands. and water power sites in the
United States, holding the title to an
area of such lands agsregatins more
than ninety million acres. In 1906 the
Government began the policy of with
drawing from public entry ali lands
underlain by coal. and since tiiat time
it has made great many Withdrawals
including not only zeal but also the
other resources mentioned. This action
has been taken pending investigation
of these resources by the United states
Geological Survey, an investigation
which in the case of coal hands is fol-
lowed by their classification. appraisal,
and restoration to entry. Lands of the
other classes remain withdraw pend
ing proposed legislation by Congress.
which shall provide for their proper
development
in April, 1909, was put into force the
present comprehensive scheme of coal
land classification under which each
| 40 acre tract OF coal land is classified
and valued according to the tonnage
and quality of its coal and then restored
to sale. The prices Of coal land range
all The way from the minimum OF 80
or $40 ar acre. according to whether the
| land is situated within or without the
| 5-mile limit from a railroad, fer lands
| containing Ignite, the lowest grade
coal. to more than $500 an acre tor land
underlain by thick beds OF high grade
| bituninous coal.
| Three Quarters Of a Billion Dollars IN
| Coal
| In the last three years. t. March l..
| 1872 the Geological Survey has classi-
! fined and appraised as coal land l6.5''e
| $50 acres, with a total valuation OF
| SIP. s2S. sol. At The minimum price at
| which such lands were formerly sold
| this acreage would represent but Sc.
| 5S5,l75. the difference under the new
| plan thus approaching half a billion
dollars of eventual additional income
| 10 the Government from its public
| lands as a result of adopting the poll
cy of classification. coal-land with
| draWals are still outstanding to the
extent of 69,000000 Gcres and these
| lands are being classified by the Geo
! logical Survey as rapidly az. possible,
| the rate approximating 10,0oU0oV acres
a year The work involved in The elas-
sfication of these coal fields OF the ma
! ton is enormous, aud while there Is
| some criticism OF such conserva ton OF
| a national resource perhaps the best
| evidence, of the soundness of the poll
| ey lies in the ready acceptance of the
| tonnage estimates and valuations by
purchasers of coal lands, the increas-
ing amount OF coal land thus purchas-
cd. and the fact that the Geological
Survey is constantly receiving re-
quests that certain coal tracts be elias.
sified Although 500 Or even $500 ialt
acre may be asserted by spectators ii
be n prohibitive price, compared with
the rate under The Governments form
cr give way" policy. still when the
present price is reduced 80 the tonnage
rate of ceut, half a cent. or less per
ton it is seen to be very moderate
Some of the western coal beds run as
high as 80 900 tons or more of recover
able coal to the acre, y single 40-acre
tract, for example, in a Montana with
drawal recently made, contains over
two and IL half million tons of coal.
i Protection of the Public Petroleum
! Deposits.
Another public LAND fuel resource in
the proper development Of which
Uncle Sam is taking an active interest
is petroleum. Seven or eight of The
publie-land States contain extensive
oil deposits and in many localities the
OIL is associated with natural gas
Large areas of the western oil fields
have been geologieally examined, and
Withdrawals Of oil land initiated by the
Survey now aggregate 3s02 S66 acres in
California, Oregon. Wyoming, Utah,
New Mexico, Colorado. and Louisiana.
These Withdrawals have been made in
anticipation of much needed legisla-
| tion, the present gold-placer law under