Bisbee daily review., 1919-09-04
MINERAL LEASE BILL IS PASSED
 BY THE SENATE
Bitter Debate Marks Passage Of Bill; La Toilette Charges It Is Measure For Benefit of The Standard Oil Company

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3.-Without
 a record vote, the senate tonight after
 a twelve-hour session. passed the bin
 to make possible the leasing of pub-
 lice lands having deposits of oil, coal,
 gas, phosphate and sodium.
 in passing the measure, the senate
 approved amendments offered by Sen ator Harris, Democrat, Georgia,
 which would provide that under the
 Clayton antitrust act oil companies may not charge different prices in
 various parts of the country.
 Another amendment, which it's au. thor, Senator Harris, said would cause the constituent companies of the
 Standard Oil company soon to become independent in ownership in fact as well as in name, was adopted. This amendment would prohibit stockhold- CTS of corporations producing petro- leum and its by-products from acquir ing stock in another corporation simi- larly engaged if both corporations have been created in conformance with a court dissolution decree or for the purpose of avoiding prosecu- ton under antitrust acts.
 With the exception of the Harris the fate of which are uncertain in the house, the leasing measure as to important features was passed as reported by the public lands committee.
 Consideration of the bill was mark ed by bitter debate during which Senator LaFollette, Republican, Wis consin, who ill the last six days has spoken more than twenty hours, and other senators, charged that the bill was for the benefit of the Standard Oil company During the debate to. day the Wisconsin senator charged that the Standard Oil company and it's associates were attempting to influ- ence the senate's action upon the German treaty and the league of na- tions.
 Leasing of the land under the bill is placed under the secretary of the and in the case of coal lands the bill provides that a royalty of not less than five cents or more than twenty cents a ton shall be paid. Alaskan coal lands are excluded from theb III and a provision authorizing the sale of lands as proposed in the leasing bill of last session was elimi- hated. Royalties upon oil lands would not be less than 121a per cent or more than 25 >per cent upon production, while for phosphates, the royalty would be two per cent of the gross value of production and one-eighth of production for sodium.
 The bill prohibits aliens, by stock ownership or otherwise, from owning any interest in leases obtained under the bill except where discretionary power is given the president if in his opinion he deems it necessary to take over and operate the leases or to ac- luire the products of the land inVolv- ed.
 Amendments by Senator LaFollette were approved by the senate prohib- ting employment of boys unders six teen years of age and women and girls without respect to age in mines on government-leased land; requiring essees to dispose of their products 1t reasonable prices and prohibiting | persons holding leases from engaging | in combinations in restraint of trade. |
 The senate tonight by a viva voce vote defeated an amendment by Sen ator Phelan, Democrat, of California. the president within his discretion to establish an export em- Dargo on oil. The senate also voted down a sub-bill by Senator King, Democrat, Utah, providing for the turning over by the government of he public domain to the various states in which it is located.