Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1914-12-10
.Covernment Coal Urged
. lfClontinned To- .Pare 1.l

1COnf1nue4 1rQAs ~ "a. -
caipoWer and how to use It, and Join
us and work in concert to bring II
about. How?
s'For a number or years before the
trusts were organized the. price OF
anthracite was $3.50, gasoline DC and
coal oil &c. It then sold at q fair
profit, or It would not have been pro-
duced. Since then the cost OF product.
ion and distribution has been reduced
to less than half. OF course as-falr
profit would be had II prices were
half or two-thirda OF former prices.
1.-THE U. S. Geological Survey re-
ports that there are In this country
over zoe, 100000 acres Of good coal
land, 100000 Of which are public,
and 5000, 900 acres OF oil land. Not
one per cent of these lands are being
worked. The rest are held out or use
and production prevented. It Is this
restriction Of supply that enables tn
trusts to charge two to i've times the
prices that would be fixed by healthy
competition. II free access is given
to the public coal and oil deposits,
producers viii take out more, the mon
opoly power of the trusts will be brok-
| en-, supply win increase, prices Will
fall. more labor will be employed,
wages will rise, and miners troubles
will cease. l.
"A bill has been introduced In Con.
gress by Nj. Warren Worth Bailey,
Of Pennsylvania, as follows:
Z" That the Secretary Of the Inter
Tor Is hereby authorized 70 lease any,
public lands In the United States or in
any Of It's possessions containing de
posits Of coal or oil; and hereafter
| the mineral rights in such lands shall
not be sold or let on any terms other
than as herein provided. That as rent
for the coal lands there shall be pay
1 able annually, beginning two years
4 after date Of lease, $50 per acre for
each foot Of thickness Of coal there
lin, subject to deduction Of 81 for each
ton of coal produced thereffom dur.
ling the preceding year. That ascent
for the oil lands there shall be paya-
BILE annually ct the rate Of SO per
day per acre for each day each acre
lis not kept producing. at It's normal
/ capacity, such charge to begin one
lyear after date Of lease. That fail.
ure to pay any rent when due shall
operate of course to terminate the
lease. That all laws or parts Of, laws
Inconsistent herewith are hereby re-
Ipealed.'
4 "Under this law no lessee could at.
ford to take land and hold It out OF
use, and those who took out Is per
cent Of the deposit each year would
have no rent to pay.
II Each member Of the League I'm.
J Fdertakes to write a letter: First, to
1.-THE President suggesting, and to the
Chairman and other members Of com
nittee to which the Dill Is referred
and at the proper time to his Repre-
sentative and two Senators urging
:. the enactment Of this bill III. r
Il 1850, to release to production and
to prevent monopoly Of the coal and
oil deposits in public lands Also t.
distribute to others near home and II
other states copies of the Bulletin. and
explain the measure to induce them
, | to Join US. Also to subscribe for the
Bulletin.
II Each member procuring new mem
lberS and subscriptions will be allow
ed 10 retain half OF each 'subscr1pt
; ION, and may thus get back the dpllal
, Lpaidl or. even much more Those ou'
Unemployment might earn goot
: wages by intelligent systematic effort
a Bulletin No. / will pc supplied Il
quantities to all who. ASH for II.
{. when this bill becomes law A,
j, 000, 900 acres Of good coal lands ant
abundant oil lands viii be made &C
: Icessible to producers rent free, ant
q the Independents will then produc'
coal and oil to the extent Of at leas
!. IS0 to 40 per cent more than IL NOV
being produced. This will give en-
!, Iployment to unemployed labor. Wage
win then naturally rise. With the II