The Chitina leader. [volume] (Chitina, Alaska) 1910-1928, 1912-08-06
SENATOR SHOOTS
LEASING BILL

Teasing ulii introduced III lue Ouitcu
States Senate by Senator Smoot, of
Utah. as amended and favorably re-
ported by the Committee on Terri
tories:
A bill to provide for a permanent
supply of coal for the use of the
United States Navy and other
Governmental purposes, to
provide for the leasing of
coal lands in the Terri
tory of Alaska. and
for other purposes
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives OF the
United States of America in Congress
assembled, That. subject to the rights
of any settler or other claimant un-
der the public land laws, the Secre-
tary of the Interior is hereby author
lied to lease to any person above the
age of twenty-one years who is citi-
zen of the United States. or to any
association of such persons or to any
corporation organized under the laws
of the United States or of any state
or territory thereof, any of the lands
of the United States in the Territory
of Alaska which contain deposits of
coal or Ignite and associated miner
ais which, for the purposes of this
Act. shall be called coal, or the coal.
Ignite. and associated minerals
therein, under such restrictions and
upon such terms as in his discretion
will best serve to develop the fuel
resources of Alaska, and which shall
protect the interest of the public in
such resources, together with such
easements in the public domain for
entering. dumping, transportation.
and such other purposes as may be
necessary to the proper operation of
of such property. And all such coal
lands in Alaska are hereby reserved
from entry, location, occupation, or
use except as provided in this Act and
except as to other forms of entry, To-
cation, occupation or use not incon-
sistent with coal leases. which shall
| be subject to such conditions and
reservations as may be prescribed by
the Secretary of the Interior to pre-
serve the paramount use of such land
| for the mining of coal or Ignite and
associated minerals.
Sec. 2. That no lease shall be for
more than three thousand two hun
dred acres of land. such land. if sur
yeyed. to be described by the subdi-
visions of the survey. or, if unsur-
yeyed, by permanent monuments so
placed as TO effectively describe said
| location: such lands TO be in not
more than two compact bodies, the
| length of neither of which shall be
more than two and one-half times its
width: Provided, That no person, as
| ISOLATION, or corporation shall be per-
mitted to take or hold any interest,
as stakeholder or otherwise, in more
than one such lease under this Act
any any such interest held in viola
| ton of this provlso shall be forfeited
to the United States by appropriate
proceedings instituted by the Attor-
ney General for that purpose in any
court of competent Jurisdiction. ex-
cept that any such ownership and in
terest hereby forbidden which may
be acquired by descent or will may be
| held for one year and not longer af-
ter its acquisition.
Sec. 8. That for the privilege of
| *
lege of disposing of the coal in the
lands covered by his lease, the les
| see shall pay to the United States
such royalties as may be specified in
the lease, which shall be not less than
two nor more than five per centum
| of the value of the coal for sale at
the mine on all coal mined. and an
annual rental at the beginning of
each year on the lands covered by
such lease, such rental to begin at
such time as may be fixed in the
lease and to be at the rate of twenty
five cents per acre for the first year
| lie purposes: Provided, That the Sec
rotary of the Interior shall designate
| from time to time the nature, ex-
tent, and location of such easements,
and as part of such designation
shall fix the compensation for any in
jury which may be done by such ease
ments, respectively, to any improve
ments upon the lands affected by
such easements, and before sucl
easements can be used such damages
shall be paid to the owners of such
Improvements, respectively, by the
| parties to whom or for whose bene-
| fit such easements are granted, re-
| spectively.
Sec. 5. That no lease shall be as
signed except with the consent of
| the Secretary of the Interior. Such
lease shall provide that the lessee
shall exercise reasonable diligence,
skill, and care in the operation of
said property; that such rules for the
safety and welfare of the miners for
the prevention of undue waste shall
be observed as may be prescribed,
| and for such other requirements as
are usual for the protection of the
| interests of lessons in the operation
of similar property; and the Secre-
| tary of the Interior is authorized to
| prescribe the necessary and proper
thereafter, fifty cents per acre for
the second, third, fourth and fifth
years, and one dollar per acre for
each and every year thereafter dur
| ing the continuance of the lease, ex-
cept that such rental for any year
shall be credited against the royal
| ties accruing for that year. Leases
may be for periods of not more than
| fifty years each, subject to renewal,
on such terms and conditions as may
be authorized by law at the time of
such renewal.
Sec. 4. That any lease. entry, To-
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