Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-22

CREDIT WHERE DUE.
The Journal desires to give due
credit Senator Jones of New Mexico
for a very important piece of work
which he recently accomplished IN the
sanate in the amendment of the pro-
posed bill, which has now passed the
senate. for the leasing of coal and oil
lands belonging to the United States,
AZ many of our readers are aware,
This proposition has now been before
both branches of congress for several
wears. and has been one of the most
etuhbornlv contested measures from
the standpoint of various theories and
localities. This has finally resulted
in what might be termed an all around
compromise measure recently report
Cd tn the senate by the committee
having it in charge, with praetlcally
the greater majority of the senators
committed TO its adoption as reported
V the committee
Tnder the provision of this Dill
BE-, ,wn as Senate Bill No. 2775. and
tiled, "A bill to promote the mining
,oal, phosphate, oil, gas and sodium
-- the public domain" public lands
tanning the minerals named in the
ale are hereafter to be leased b" the
10 retary of the interior to those I'M
urospccting licenses, also issued
the secretary for prospecting and
yeloping oil or the other minerals
the case may be. thereupon. me
lximum acreage included in such
ospecting licenses is to be 2'e6o
res and where the license is for
osnecting for oil, the successful
ensee, after discovery of oil, Is en-
led 70 said one-fourth of this area
id obtain lease from the secretary
for the same, under proper conditions
and restrictions by virtue or Whlch
he would be entitled to the Oh! there
upon, upon payment of five per
cent royalty to the United States. lie
would also have a preference rlght 10
lease from the United States the other
three-fourths Of his 1850 acre loca-
tion with the obligation to develop
the oil thereupon and to pay royalty
on the same or from 12a to 70 per
cent as fixed by the secretary of the
interior.
The bill repealed the present laws
with reference to locations of the min'
erals named, and entirely substituted
the system above provided for the
same. The repeal provision excerpts
only valid claims existent at date OF
massage of this act and thereafter
maintained in compliance with the
laws under which initiated. which
claims may be perfected under such
laws"
The people of New Mexico are IA
miliar with the decisions of the courts
and the interior department with ref
erence to what constitutes valid
claims" either of lode or placer loca-
tons, and know that the departments
and courts have invariably held thai
the words valid claims mean claims
which are valid as against the United
States, and that no lode or placer
mining claim IS valid" as against the
United States until discovery of min
eral thereupon; and our people saw
at once that such act would SWEEP
out of existence all of the oil placer
mining locations which have hereto
fore been made in New Mexico. there
being. we believe, not single one o
them upon which discovery of oil ha
been made. In event, therefore, o
the passage of this bill in the form
proposed, thousands of people In New
Mexico would have lost their oil loca
lions and great numbers of then
would have been involved in financia
loss in moneys advanced in the max
ing of such locations to date. Their
was, therefore, great interest IN tn
matter and numerous kilograms from
interested parties were sent to on
senators, seeking an amendment.
Senator Jones made the fight o.
behalf of the New Mexico protestants
which succeeded in amending tn
laws, although it was uphill work be
cause of the difficulties in the wa,
due to the previous commitment
the senators in amending the same, s.
that all claims otherwise valid, ex
cept as to discovery, in existence q
the passage of the act will be pro
tected. That it was good work. abb
done. is shown by an official copy o
the debate upon the amendment.
NI.u ,fExIco.s REsT RET.