The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-10
NEW METHOD IN
COAL ALLOTMENTS
Would Grant Section to City
For Use by the NUM-
cipality.

Washington, Aug 1o.-Secretary
Fisher has a plan to allot govern
ment coal lands to cities which in
turn may operate them under certain
regulations to supply municipal needs
as well as those OF citizens.
As first step III the plan Se&re-
tary Fisher has recommended that
congress pass a bill granting $40
acres ot coal land to the city of Grand
Junction. Col. and mea nwhile the
interior department has withdrawn
from entry the land the city desires
Cities in Colorado. Wyoming. Utah.
Montana Idaho and other public land
states west Of the Missouri river would
he most vitality affected by Secretary
Fishers plan.
The general hill he offers would
authorize the secretary of the inter
ior. in his discretion. to patent $40
acres of government coal land for
each CITY and $50 for each town. un-
der conditions providing for prompt
and continuous development of the
coal, the pf.venticn OF any assignment
or transfer OF the land the safe
guarding Of the health and safety of
Ia abor'rs mining or handling the coal,
the prevention Of undue waste of min
eral Resources. and other restrictions.
The secretary hclives that any such
patnt should he safeguarded by the
provision that the title of the land
patented shall revert TO the govern
coal land shall be patented shall. at
any time fail to perform any of the
conditions of the patent.
Secretary Fisher maintains that tn.
aim OF tho federal policy with respect
to government owned coal lands is TO
insure for the public an abundant
supply at prices which will Weld a
fair return, and no more. upon the
capita invested in mining and han
possible when a fec simple patent is
granted to private persons or cor
porations for tha commercial eNploi-
tation Of the coal deposits
The leasing system. Secretary Fish
er thinks, is the method for the pri-
Nate exploitation Of government
owned coal lands which can project
the public. Rv retaining the title in
its own hands and properly condition
protect the public from extortion.
Such ii policy. Mr Fisher holds en-
trelv consistent With the PRINCIPLES
Of conservation
Although Secretary Fisher believes
that long time lease for a nominal
consideration would be better for
some purpose than an outright grant
because IT would admit OF greater
1exihility in dealing with each city
according to local circumstances and
conditions, he asserts il is possible to
emh"dy in patent to city the most
essential conditions necessary 10 al
feet the purpose of the federal con-
servation policy.
1t is desirable. he says to retain in
the hands of the federal government
certain amount of supervision. to
make sure that the city will actually
develop the coal without waste and
with due resard to the health and
safety of the miners; also that all
Transactions of the city he given the
fullest publicity to prevent any op-
portunity for corporation and abuses
to keep the federal government and
the general public fully informed as
to just how legislation of this char
acter is operating in actual practice.
Upon request of Representative
Taylor of Colorado. Secretary Fisher
has directed that the coal lands de-
sired by Grand Junction ne held with
drawn from entry. The right of the
secretary to make Withdrawals by
executive order in the absence of eN-
press authority previously conferred
by statute, has been a subject of con-
troversy. especially in Colorado, but
Secretary Fisher has no doubt of his
executive authority in this matter