The Chitina leader., 1912-02-24
PRESIDENT fAFTS
ALASKA MESSAGE


sress. had the following with refer.
enee to Alaska:
There is no branch OF the fedora,
jurisdiction which calls more inner
atively for immediate legislation
than that which concerns the public
domain. and especially the part OF
that domain which is In Alaska. The
report of the secretary Of the interior
which is transmitted here with and
the report to him of the governor Of
Alaska. set out the public need in
this regard with great force and in
satisfactory. detail.
1.-THE progress under the reclama
ton act has made clear the defects
of its limitations, which should be
femedied. The rules governing the
acquisition OF homesteads. Of land
that is not arid or SENT arid, or not
we'll adapted to the perfecting OF
title to land made arabic by govern
Ment reclamation work.
Would Issue Patent In Five Years
~ concur with the secretary of the
interior in his Recommendation that
after entry Is made upon land being
reclaimed. actual occupation as q
homestead of the same be not re.
CURED until two years after entry
but that cultivation OF the same
shall be required, and that the pres.
ent provision under which the land is
to be paid for in ten annual install.
ments shall be so modified as to al.
low a patent to issue for the land al
the end of five years. cultivation and
three years occupation. with reser.
walton Of government lien for the
amount unpaid OF the purchase price
This leniency to the reclamation
homesteader will relieve him from
occupation at time when the con.
dttion Of the land makes it most bur.
densome and difficult, and at the
end of five years will furnish him
with . title upon which he can Dor.
row money and contiue the improve
ment OF his holding.
Favors General Classification
81 also concur in the recommends
tion of the secretary of the interior
that all our public domain should be
classified and that each class should
be disposed of or administered in
the manner most appropriate to that
particular calss.
The chief change. however. which
ought to bs Made, and which 4 nave
already recommended in previous
messages and communications to
Congress, is that by which govern
ment coal land and phosphate and
other mineral lands containing non
metalliferous minerals. shall be leas
ed BY the government, with restric-
lions as to size and time resembling
those which now obtain throughout
the country between the owners in
fee and the lessees who work the
mines. and in leases like those which
have been most successful in Austria
Ma. New Zealand and Nova Scotia.
1.-THE showing made by investiga-
tions in to the successful working OF
the leasing system leaves no doubt
a. to its wisdom and practical utility.
Requirements as to the working OF
the mine during the term may be SO
framed az to prevent any holding OF
large mining properties merely for
speculation, while the royalties may
be made sufficiently low not unduly
TO increase the cost of the coal
mined. and at the same time suffi-
cient to furnish q reasonable income
for the use of the public in the CON-
munity where the mining goes on. In
Alaska there is no reason why a sub
stantial income should not be thus
raised for such public works as may
be deemed necessary or useful.
"There IL NO difference between
the reasons which call for application
of the leasing system to the coal
lands still retained by the govern
ment in the United States proper and
those which exist in Alaska.
Alaska's Coal Fields
There are now in Alaska only two
we'll known high grade coal fields OF
large extent-tne Bering River coal
field and the Aatanuska coal field.
The Bering River coal field, while It
has varying qualities of coal from
the bituminous to the anthracite, Is
very much lessened In value and use
fulness by the grinding effect to
which in geological ages past the
coal measures have been subjected.
90 that the coal does not lie or can
not be taken out in large Jumps. 1t
must be mined In almost . powder
cd condition. The same difficulty
does not appear to the same extent
in the Matanuska fields. The Bering
River coal fields are only rs miles
from the coast They are within easy