The Alaska citizen., 1915-09-27
WILL LE I US MINE COAL
 SOON
SECRETARY LANE HAS PLAN BY WHICH HE THINKS THAT THE COAL LANDS OF ALASKA CAN BE MINED UNDER LEASE hGRGEMEN
WILL ISSUE REGULATIONS
iN TWO WEEKS TIME WE WILL KNOW WHAT WILL BE RE- CURED OF US BY THE GOV EMINENT WHEN WE WISH TO MINE COAL ON NENANA

WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept 26.- That he expects within the next two weeks to issue regulations under which Alaska coal may be mined by the leasing system was the state ment of Secretary of the Interior Lane when interviewed this morn ing by the usual Coterie of news paper men The regulations will contain all of the requirements which will be made by the govern ment Of possible lessees and will stlpulate just what must be done by the lessee in order to obtain a lease on any considerable body of coal.
 Secretary Lane, however, did not say anything about what the require nents would be, merely stating that they will be included in the pub lshed regulations. He is of the opinion that the coal leasing sys ten for which he is preparing the regulations will meet with the ap- proval of prospective lessors.
 It is understood here that tie government will demand a small tax for every ton of coal mined on the leasing plan, land office officials or representatives to pass upon the quantity in the case of each lessee Just how much coal land will be allowed to each lessee is a matter Of conjecture.
 That part of the coal leasing bill pertaining directly to the leasing of the coal lands by the govern ment is as follows:
 Sec. 5 That the unreserved coal lands and coal deposits shall be CiF Fced by thy Secretary of the h. te for into leasing blocks or tracts of forty aCres each, or multiples thereof, ami in such form a: in the op-nion of tie Secretary will rel- n | the most economical mining of tho coal In such blocks, but in no case exceeding two thousand five hundred and sixty acres in any one "asing block or tract; and there after. the Secretary shall offer such Jocks o1 tracts, and the coal, liz nite, and associated minerals there in for leasing, and may award leases thereof through advertisement, com petitive bidding, or such other me thods as he may by general 1egula- tion adopt to any person aOove the age of twenty one years who is citizen of the United States, or to any association of such persons, or to any corporation or municipality organized under the law, of the United States or of any State or Territory thereof; Provided, That majority of the stock of such cc!po- ratiOns 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 ex- cess of such area or quantity as may be required and used solely for it's own use, and such limitation of use shall be expressed in all leases or permits issued to railroads or common carriers hereunder: And provided further, That any person, association or corporation qualified to become a lessee under this Act and owning any pending claim un- der the public-land laws to any coal lands in Alaska may, within one year from the passage of this the Secretary of the Interior by which such claim shall be fully re- linquished to the United States; and if in the judgment of the Sec retary of the Interior, the circum- stances connected with such claim justify so doing, the moneys paid by the claimant or claimants to the United States on account of such claim shall, by direction of the Secretary of the Interior, be re- turned and paid over to such per son, association. or coporation as a consideration for such relinquish- ment.
 All claims of existing rights to any of such lands in which final proof has been submitted and which are now pending before the Con- missioner of the General Land Office or the Secretary of the Interior for decision shall be adjudicated with in one year from the passage of