The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-10-03


yided with the states.
The Alaskan rsilorad Is being bull
THE Alaskan coal leasing bill has a
READY been put into effect in a smal
way by the granting Of permits 70
, the operation OF small and isolatet
tracts for industrial and local use
l The lease under which the large
fields have been reserved may b,
taken up has been drafted in co-opera
tiOn with some OF the most emlnen
+ mine operators OF the country. TT
utilization must, OF course, await the
opening OF means OF transportation
The new reclamation act has brought
courage to the water users, who found
their difficulties almost overwhelm
ing. so new and strange to the people
OF our northern blooG are the prob
lens OF irrigation.
The need for the general develop.
ment bill is not difficult to present.
The lands OF the Pacific coast are
being used intensely IN some parts
and these lands call for fertilization.
/ One OF the elements which must be
restored to the soil Is phosphorous
| This is native in most soils but is
needed by all after long use. The
Iorange orchards Of California and the
apple orchards Of oregon and Wash
ington not to speak of others, draw
heavily upon the soil And for its re-
Iplenishing the orchardists are buying
phosphate rock in Florida, which is
carried 5000 miles by water and then
inland, while in Idaho, Montana and
Wyoming we have under withdrawal
nearly 100000 acres OF land that are
underlaid with phosphate rock There
is no law today under which this can
be secured In Montana and else
whore throughout the west are smell
ters which produce the sulphuric acid
necessary for the conversion of this
rock into practicable fertilizer So that
the development of this industry waits
only upon the passage Of law which
will put this mineral at the command !
OF those who need It,
Our coal lands are now subject to
sale at appraised values based upon |
an estimate Of the content Of the land, |
This is at best an experts guess, and |
converts each purchase into gamble, |
both on the part of the government
and the purchaser. The bill does not
exclude this method, but supplements
1t with a simple provision which the
instead Of buying at hazard
may pay royalty upon what he pro-
duces. 1t gives the man of moderate
means an opportunity to secure a
mine.
As to oil and gas, the house com
mittee had extensive hearings at
which no practical man engaged in
the industry offered any objection to
he plan proposed. The existing law,
Inder which such lands have been
AIKEN up, Is to be characterized by
10 politer word than as plain mislt. :
)il is found hundreds and sometimes
thousands of feet below the surface of
he earth, yet the law applicable to
Is acquisition Is the placer law, in ,
ended to apply to the recovery of SUI :
,erficial minerals. This law is of ro-
mantle origin, for II Is the Uutgrowth ,
4 the experience of the argOnauts
Who went to California in the days of
10. The measures adopted by these
len for the government of their
laims along the mountain streams.
here they did no more than lift the
ivcr sands to the pan or rocker fin /,
lly were incorporated into law. And
he governing principe of this law
as, that before a man could claim
wnership in placer claim he must
ave found gold there; and until he
id others might, at their bodily risk.
, be sure, attempt to make prior
iscoyery. The utter inapplicability :
such a principle to mineral found =,
orhaps 1000 feet below the surface,
nd where the discovery must be made D."
a cost OF twenty nrty or a hundred .
lousand dollars, is clear beyond COM =,
ent. Now, under this impossible law -
large amount of public land was =
AIKEN up" and by that is meant that
was located on ana thereafter be.
lme a general basis FOR speculation
I'd sometimes was developed That
Ie law is as hazardous to the investor III
! It is unsatisfactory to the govern ID
ent Is universally conceded. and in III
s stead should come a measure un- u
n which the government would give a
permit at first, an exclusive permit II
r drilling and upon discovery with u
a given time an area be given as a 'e
ward for proving the ground, and y
Ijacent lands leased upon a royalty :
ISIS.