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

A coal leasing bill is being con-
sidered by Congress, with the hope
that some definite measure may be
passed by both houses before the
session ends. The Senate committee
on public lands, after many confer
ences with Secretary Lane and
friends of Alaska, and after hearing
the report of subcommittee, re-
ported to the Senate practically a
new bill. In submitting the amended
bill Chairman Henry L. Myers of
Montana, made the following report:
AS thus amended the committee
recommends that the bill do pass.
The bill provides for the leasing
of coal lands in Alaska that are not
expressly, by the bill, reserved to the
government. The committee favors
the disposal of the coal lands by
lease rather than by sale for the
following reasons: "a Because it
will require less capital to engage in
mining and will offer an opportunity
for the poor man, the prospector,
and the miner to engage in the
business of producing coal; CD it
Will encourage greater number of
people to engage in the occupation
and tend to a greater production of
coal and consequent reduction in
the price; 60 it offers the most
effective method of protection
against monopoly and waste and in
sures the protection of the life and
health of the miner; and ca an
adequate and economical production
of coal is essential to the develop
ment of the territory and the sue
cessful construction and operation Of
the government railroads, and it is
therefore reasonable that the gov
eminent should retain control over
such mining operations.
Classification of Coal Lands
The bill provides that the Secre-
tary of the Interior shall classify
the coal lands and survey them in
blocks of 40 acres and multiples
thereof up to 1850 acres, a person
or corporation to be interested in
only one lease and no lease to be for
more than one block of such coal
land. The reason for having some
Of the blocks of only 40 acres is 50
that miners without the necessary
capital to engage in mining on a
large scale may be able to lease and
mine such blocks. In the classical
ton, the 40-acre blocks will be
selected with view to favoring the
small miner and carrying out the in
tention OF the provision. The corpor-
alton or big operator will be dis
couraged in seeking a lease on 40
acre block, as such quantity of land
would be inadequate for large oper-
ations and to take over a lease on
such block would be a bar to n
lease on larger block.
Protection Against Monopoly
To protect against monopoly, the
bill prohibits any lessee from acquir-
ing or holding any interest, directly
or indirectly, in another lease, and
of this provision is pun
ished not only by forfeiture of the
lessee's interest, but by fine and i'm
prisonment. Stock in a corporation
lease is considered al
interest in such lease The officers,
directors, or agents of corporation
acting for corporation in the vio-
lation of such provision are punished
by fine or Imprisonment, or both.
May Consolidate.
With the approval of the Secr.,-
tary of the Interior, lessees may con-
solidate their leases if the CONSOLE
dated areas do not exceed 1850
acres. This provision is intended to
allow miners who have taken up
small blocks to consolidate such
blocks for the purpose of raising
catal or otherwise facilitating the
mining operations in such CONSOLE
dated areas.
The Period of the Lease
Leases shall be for not more than
so years. This does not mean that
the Secretary of the Interior shall
execute lease for SO years, but
that he has the power. In granting
a lease he will naturally be gov
erned as to the period by the par
ticular conditions existing. If a.
large investment and equipment are
required, the lessee will naturally
require longer lease than if such
were small. 1t would
be difficult to obtain the investment
of any large amount of capital in
operations in Alaska unless
the lease were for long period of
L mi