Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-02-02
EASIER METHOD OF HOME sTEADING rs
URGENTLY DEM ANDED SAYS EXECUTIVE

1 be classified and mat each class
I should be disposed Of or administered
In the manner most appropriate to
that particular class.
The chief change, however. which
ought TO be made. and which | have
already recommended In previous
i messages and communications 20 con-
gress, is that by which government
coal land and phosphate and other
mineral lands containing non-metai-
/ lifcrous minerals. shall be leased bS
the government, with restrictions as
/ TO size and time. resembling those
which now obtain throughout the
country bCwteen the owners IN fec
and the lcssecs who work the mines,
and in leases like those which have
been most successful In Australia,
New Zealand and Nova Scotia. The
showing made by Investigations into
the successful working OF the leasing
system leaves no doubt as to It's Wis
uom and practical utility. Require
ments as 20 the worKing of the mine
during the term may be so framed as
TO prevent any holding OF large min
ing properties merely for specula-
tion. while the royalties may be made
sufficiently low not unduly To in
crease the cost of the coal mined, and
az the same time sufficient 20 FUR
nish a reasonable income for the use
OF the public In the community where
the mining goes on. In Alaska there
N no reason why substantial income
should not thus be raised for such
public works as may be deemed nee
essary or useful.
There Is no difference between the
reasons which call Tor the appliCn-
tinn of the leasing system 20 the coal
/ lands sim retained by the governs
mcnt IN the United States proper and
those which exist In Alaska
There are now IN Alaska only two
we'll known high-grade coal fields of
large extent-the Bering river coal
| field and the Matanuska coal field.
4ne Berlng river coal field, while %
| has varying qualities OF coal from the
| bitumlnous To the anthracite, is very
much essoned IN value ana useful
ness by the grinding effect TO which
IN gcologlcal ages past the coal meas
urcs have been subjected. so that the
coal does not lie or can not be mined
! In large Jumps II must be taken out
Ia almost a powdered condition. The
same difficulty does not appear 20
tho same extent In the Matanuska
coal flolds The Bcring river coal
fields are only 20 miles from the
coast They are within easy distance
OF an existing railroad built by the
n-Guggenheim interests. and
may also be reached through Con
troller bay by the construction OF
other and competing railroads.
Controller bay is not "a good har-
Dor hut could probably be- made prac-
tical with the expenditure OF consid-
I cradle money The railroad of the
Morgan -Cuggcnheim Interests, run
Ming from CnrdoVa. could be made q
coal carrying road for the Berins
river fields by the construction of
branch to those fields not exceeding
so ur 60 miles, II is practicable, ana
| if the coal measures were to be- OPEN
, ed up doubtless the branch would be
| built Ia the present condition OF
things there IN no motive To build
the road, because there Is no title or
opportunity TO cpen and mine the
coal
The MatanuslSa coal fields are a
/ longer distance from the coast They
are from l5O 10 goo miles from the
harbor OF seward. on Resurrection
/ bay This Is one OF the finest har-
bors la the world. and a reservation
has been made there gor the use OF
| the navy of the United states.
road constructed from Seward 90 the
Matanuska coal fields would form
/ part of system reaching from the
coast into the heart of Alaska, ana
open the great interior valleys of the
Yakon and the Tanana, which have
/ agricultural as well as great mineral
! possibilities,
The Alaska Central road has been
constructed some "A miles of the dis
tance from Seward north To the Mata-
nuska coal fields. but the eonstruc-
, tion beyond this has been discour-
/ aged. first, by the fact that there has
been no policy adopted of opening up
the coal lands upon whlcn investors
could depend ana. second. because
there seemed 10 be a lack Of hnan-
cial backing Of those engaged IN the
enterprise. The secretary Of the IN
terror has ascertaincd that the bond
holders, who are the real owners of
/ the road. are willing 60 sell 90 the
government ana he recommends the
purchase of the existing road, such
roconstruction az may be necessary,
its continuance % the Matanuska coal
/ fields and thence into the valleys OF
/ the yukon and the Tanana n would
be great trunk line, and would be
am opening up of Alaska by govern
ment capital
| am not IN favor of government
ownership wherc the same certainty
and efficiency of service can be- had
!
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