The Chitina leader. [volume] (Chitina, Alaska) 1910-1928, 1914-04-21

than cents nor more than 5 cents
per ton for each ton mined. This
is small royalty by comparison
with charges In the United States
proper. but the committee believes
that the principal object of the gov
eminent is to stimulate the output
of coal rather than to make a profit
out of royalties on the operations.
Such royalties are about half the
royalties charged in the various
states of the Union. The Secretary
of the Interior will naturally way
the royalty between the limits as
the conditions may require.
1t is impracticable to charge a
percentage on the value of the coal,
because under the varying conditions
in Alaska affecting both the trans
portation and the sale of coal it
would be very burdensome and ex-
pensive. If not impossible, fairly TO
arrive at such value.
Limited License Without Royalty
The bill authorizes the Secretary
of the Interior to grant limited
licenses to mine coal for strictly
local or domestic purposes without
the payment Of royalty. Such a
license is limited to 10 acres and a
period Of 10 years. This provision
is largely intended to meet the re-
quirements Of the miners living In
the interior or away from transpor-
tation.
Reserved By the Government
The land reserved not exceeding
$40 acres In the Bering field and
1850 acres In the Matanuska field,
constitutes about one-third of the
available coal In each Of said fields,
and is considered by the Department
of the Interior to be adequate for
governmental uses.
1t will be observed that the coal
is not to be mined by the govern
ment until 1t becomes necessary by
reason Of an insufficient supply of
coal at a reasonable price. In max
ing the reservations 1t is not the in
tention Of the committee that the
government shall unnecessarily en-
gage in the business of coal mining
Protection Of Existing Rights
In Section Of the bill it is pro-
vided that the leases shall be let
subject to any prior existing rights,
which said rights may be perfected
under the laws in force at the time
the same we're initiated" 1t is not
the intention of the committee to
deprive anyone Of his valid existing
rights by legislative enactment.
Existing rights must be determined
by the proper tribunals.
The bill further provides that any
person who is the owner of claim
may surrender the same to the
United States and thereupon shall
have prior right to a lease on such
tract. While there may have been
many frauds committed in connec-
ton with the coal lands in Alaska,
there are probably many who have
in good faith and lawfully acquired
rights, and such persons should he
given at least a prior right to lease
on such tracts.
Easements.
The bill provides for the necessary
easements over leased lands and the
public domain.
Conclusion.
The committee realizes that there
are some provisions in this bill that
are Objectionable to some senators,
but the subject has been under dis
cussion and consideration for many
years and it has been found almost
impossible to harmonic the differ
ent opinions. A subcommittee con-
sisting of Mr.. Pittman, Mr.. Robinson
and Mr.. Smoot were appointed by
the committee to consider in con-
nection with S. 4425 other bills that
had been introduced in the Senate
in relation to the same subject and
to recommend to the full commit &c
such amendments to S. 4425 as they
might deem advisable or to substi-
tute an entire new bill. The majority
of the subcommittee, consisting of
Mr.. Pittman and Mr.. Robinson,
made full report recommending
certain changes in the bill. which
recommendations were accepted by
the full committee. The bill on the
one hand may not be sufficiently
radical for the extreme conserva-
tionists, while on the other hand It
may be considered too radical for
the extreme reactionaries. The
people Of the country want the coal
lands In Alaska, which have been
locked up for so many years, opened
and made to produce. and the COM
mittee has attempted to frame bill
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