The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-04-05
PRACTICAL CONSERVATION
BY THE GOVERNMENT
Great Activity in the Study and 0assi-
ficatiOn of the Coal, Oil, Phosphate
and Water Power Resources

Uncle Sam is still the largest owner
of coal lands, oil lands, phosphate
lands, and water power sites in the
United Stats, holding the title to an
area of such lands aggregating more
than ninety million acres. In 1906
the Government began the policy OF
Withdrawing from public entry all lands
underlain by coal, and since that time
it has made great many Withdrawals
including not only the coal but also
the other resources mentioned. This
action has been taken pending inves-
tigation of these resources by the Uni
ted States Geological survey, an in
vestigation which in the case of coal
lands is followed by their classification,
appraisal, and restoration to entry.
Lands of the other classes remain
withdrawn pending proposed legisla
ton 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 CLASH
fed and valued according to the ton
mage and quality of its coal and then
restored to sale. The prices of coal
land range all the way from the mini
mum OF $40 or $40 an acre, accord
ing to whether the land is situated
within or without the 15-mile limit
from a railroad, for lands containing
Ignite, the lowest grade coal, to more
than $500 an acre for land underlain
by thick beds of high-grade bitumi-
nous coal.
In the last three years, to March /,
1912, the Geological Survey has CLASH
fed and appraised as coal land 10. $780,
$50 acres, with a total valuation Of
S712,328,s01. At the minimum price
at which such lands were formerly sold
this acreage would represent but $751;
SIS, 075, the difference under the new
plan thus approaching half a billion
dollars of eventual additional income
to the Government from its public
lands as result of adopting the policy
OF classification. Coal-land withdraw
ais are still outstanding to the extent
Of $4,000, 900 acres and these lands
are being classified by the Geological
Survey as rapidly as possible, the rate
approproximating 100000 acres a
year. The work involved in the CLASH
fication of these coal fields of the ma
ton is enormous, and while there is
some criticism OF such conservation OF
a national resource perhaps the best
evidence Of the soundness OF the pol
icy lies in the ready acceptance Of the
tonnage estimates and valuations by
purchasers of coal land, the increasing
amount of coal land thus purchased,
and the fact that the Geological Sur
vey is constantly receiving requests
that certain coal tracts be classified.
Although $500 or even 5000 an acre
may be asserted by spectators to be
pruhibitive price, compared with the
rate under the Governments former
give-away" policy, still when the
present price is reduced to the ton
mage rate of l cent, half a cent, or
less per ton it is seen to be very mod
crate. Some OF the western coal beds
run as high as $4,000 tons or more Of
recoverable coal to the acre. A single
40-acre tract, for example, in a Mon
tana withdrawal recently made, con-
tains over two and a half million tons
OF coal.