The Alaska daily empire., 1914-11-11
GOAL LAND LEASING
 IS FED
Ccoa0aool ron Page Il


 tconanuea from Page D
 shat no lease shall be mnde under Cue provisions ol the net ol any lands claim Tor which ia pending until such claim Is disposed Of adversely to tho clmmanti also lhat ail claims Of exist ing rights to aiy coal lands In which nnnI proof has been submitted aud which are now pending shat be qis- posed oi within one year rom Lhe passage Of the act.
 The text Of lhe bfl follows:
 tpublic-No 216-6sd Congress.l
 CT. R. l42sS)
 An Act 10 provide for che leasing ol
 coal lands in the perritory of Alas
 la. and for other purposes.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House Of Representatives of the Unit ed States Of America in Congress as. sombiod, That tho Secretary of the Interior be, and hereby Is authorized and directed to survey the lands of the United States in the Territory of Alaska known to be valuable for their deposits Of coal, preference to bel given first in favor of surveying the lands within those areas commonly known as the Boring river. Matanus, l,a, and Nenana coal fields. and there after to such areas or coal fields as lie tributary to established settlements or existing or proposed rail or wator transportation lines: Provided, That such surveys shall be executed In ac- cordance with existing laws and rules and regulations governing the survey of public lands There is hereby ap- propriated. out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $1OO,O0O for the purpose of making Che surveys herein provided for, to continue available until ex- pended Provided, That any surveys heretofore made under the authority or by the approval of the Department of .be Interior may be adopted and used for the purposes of this act
 Sec.2. That the President Of the United States shall designate and re. serve rom use. location, sale, lease, or disposition not exceeding five thou sand one hundred and twenty acres Of coal-6earing land in the Boring River coal field and not exceeding seven thousand. six hundred and eighty acres Of coal.bearing land in the Mat anuslza field, and not to exceed one balf of the other coal lands ln Alaska Privided. That the coal deposits in such reserved areas may be mined un- der the direction of the President when, In his opinion, the mining Of such coal in such reserved areas. under the direction of the President. becomes necessary, by reason Of an insuific. tent supply of coal at a reasonable price for the requirements of govern ment works. construction and opera ton of government railroad, for the navy. for national protection, or for relief from monopoly or oppressive conditions.
 Sec 8. That Che unreserved coal lands and coal deposits shall be di. vidod by the Secretary of the Interior, into leasing blocks or tracts of forty acres each, or multiples thereof and in such form as in the opinion of the Secretary will permit the most econo- mical mining Of the coal in such blocks but in no case exceeding two thousand five hundred and sixty acres in any one leasing block or tract; and there after. the Secretary shall offer such blocks or tracts and the coal, Ignite. and associated minerals, therein for leasing, and may award leases there Of through advertisement, competitive bidding, or such other methods as he may by general regulations adopt, to any person above the age of twenty one years who is citizen of the Unit ed States, or to any association Of such persons, or to any corporation or municipality organized under the laws Of the United States or of any State or Territory thereof; Provided, That majority of the stock of such cor poration shall at all times be owned and held by citizens of the United States, and Provided Further, That no railroad or common carrier shall be permitted to take or acquire through lease or permit under this Act any coal or coal lands in excess of such area or quantity as may loo required and used solely for It's own use and such limitation of use as shai be ex- pressed in all leases or permits is- sued to railroads or common carriers hereunder: And Provided Further That any person, association. corpora- tion qualified to become 8 lessee un- der this Act owning any pending claim or claims under tbe pubHc-land laws to any coal lands in AlaDka may, with- In one gear from the passage of this Act, enter into m arrangement with the Secretary of the Interior, the cir cumsmnoe connected with such claim justify 90 doing, the moneys paid by the claimant or claimants to the Unit ed States on account of such claim shall by direction of the Secretary of the Interior. be returned and paid over to such person, association, or corporation as 8 consideration for such relinquishment
 All claims of existing rights to any  of such lands in which final proof has been submitted aud which are now pendinS before the Commissioner of the General Land Office or the Secre- tary of the Interior for decision shall be adiudieated within one year from