Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-11
FAVORS RELEASING
OF COAL PROPERTY
House Public Lands Commit
tee Reports on the Gen
eraI Leasing Bill.

Urged by the administration. the gen.
erai leasing bill which would release
5a,0o0.0oo acres Of coal lands, 100000
acres Of oil lands and billions Of tons
Of coal now In the public domain was
reported favorably today by the House
public lands committee.
General water power Legislation,
urged By President Wilson in his an
nuA msssaeA also was provided Tor
through the appointment Of special
subcommittee instructed to confer with
the administrative branch OF the gov
ernment on weter-power problems.
This subcommittee consists OF Repre-
sentatives Scott Ferris. chairman OF the
Tor of Colorado. John r. Raker Of Cali
fornia, I. L. Lenroot Of Wisconsin and
William l.. La Toilette OF Washington.
This subcommittee will confer with ON
cials OF the Interior Department on the
subject of water power. with q view to
again calling the full committee to-
gether at an early date for the consid-
GRAFTON Of water-power legislation.
Part Of War Legislation.
The mineraI-leasing bill, which has
passed the House twice. authorizes ex-
ploration for and disposition OF coal,
phosphate, oil and gas. 1t will be PRESS
The bill is substantially the Same as
the one that passed the House at the
previous session. but failed in the SEN
ate.
A bill Is now being drafted proposing
q board OF three cabinet officers TO pass
finally on the rules and regulations to
the issuance Of franchises for water
regulations apply to navigable and nom
nayigable streams alike. The proposal
to include both navigab1e and nom
navigab1e rivers on the Same regula-
tory status Is a far-reaching tnnoya-
ton and there may be q fight.
The conservation bill referred to In
the Presidents message was unani-
mously reported out by the public lands
committee.
Every paragraph Of the bill has the
approval of Secretary Lane. the geo.
graphical survey. the bureau Of mines
and every arm OF the Interior Depart
ment.
Estimate Of Coal Involved.
The best estimate on the tonnage OF
coal yet the property Of the United
States dealt with in this bill Is: Ter
billion tons OF bituminous coal, thirty
billion tons sub bituminous coal. fifty
billion tons Ignite coal; total. 45o bill
| lion tons yet in government owner
ship in continental United States, in
dependent of Alaska.
| There are approximately $50 billion
tons in private ownership in the west
ern states. making a grand total of SOC
billion tons in all.
This renders available one OF the grea,
natural resources. which will aid material
! ly the fuel supply for the country, free
from monopoly and individual selfish in
| terest..
The passage of this legislation viii
realize an adequate fuel supply for the
Navy, which is now using oil burners al
most exclusively; also for airplanes and
other combustion engines used in conec-
| ton with the war.
| Tho bill also provides for the develop
ment of any minerals that may. be found
in the remaining 800. 100000 acres OF pub
| lie lands in continental United States ant
the 37o,o00.600 acres of public lands ir
| Alaska.
The demand for the passage of conser.
walton measure and the utilization OF the
natural resources of the country has
| been pressing and insistent for a number
Of years. It has been apparent to every
arm of the government, including ex-
ecutive. legislative and judicial. that the
present laws were inadequate, inefficient
and unavoidable. The House public lands
COMMITTEES has attempted to comply with
this demand in the unanimous report