Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-02-04
OIL LAND LEASES
Continued from Page One.)

area Of eco feet, heretofore provided
he may prescribe"
Outside Naval Reserve.
For claimants outside of naval re-
serves the following provision is made !:
u Upon REIMBURSEMENT to the nlt"d
State filed in the general land office
J within six months after the approval OF
this act, of all right title and interest
claimed aud possessed since PRIOR 70
July 3, 1910. by the claimant hereunder
or his predecessor In interest under the
~pre-eXsting petroleum placer law TO any
.oil or gas bearing land embraced In the
executive order of withdrawal issued
September 27. 1909, and not within any
naval petroleum reserve, and upon pay
ment to the United States Of an amount
equal to the value 1T the time OF pro-
duction of one eighth of all the OIL OF
gas already produced and saved from
land. the claimant or MS successor. 10
undisputed possession Of any such clam,
shall be entitled to a lease thereof IRON
the United States for il period OF ~
years, at a royalty of not less than one
eighth of all the proceeds of oil or gas
produced after first deducting the ac-
tual and necessary expenses Ot such pro
duction: provided that not more thah
one-half of the area within the geologic
oil or gas structure of producing Oh
or gas field shall be leased to anyone
claimant under the provisions OF TINS sec
ton when the area Of such geological
oil structure exceeds 640 acres. ANY
claimant or mis- successor subject 70 thls
limitation shall, however. have the right
to select and receive the lease. as IN
this section provided, for that portion
of his claim or claims equal to, but not
in excess Of. said one-half Of the area
Of such geologic oil structure
Coal and other Lands.
In dealingrwith the coal provision. the
conferees accepted the senate 5 amend
ment, permitting the secretary Of the
interior to grant 1850 acres ~ pubic
coal lands. either i'll the United States
or Alaska, to prospectors either by lease
or purchase In the latter case, the
amount to be paid would be fixed by
the secretary Of the interior after re-
ceiving competitive bids, but the bill pro
sides that not less than $40 an acre
shall be paid for lands located more
than u miles from i completed faif-
road and not less than $50 an acre when
less than that distance. The bill also
would require certain improvements ~
be made within two years after the
award.
In cases Of leases. the royalty would
be fixed by the secretary of the interior
at not less than two cents n ton. while
a railroad would not be permitted 70
acquire coal lands either by lease or
permit which would produce more coal
han its needs required.
Urged to Take in Alaska.
The bill would permit Il straight leas
ing plan for sodium lands, with Toy
atty of one eighth of the gross receipts,
but would specifically exempt sodium
ands in San Bernardino county. Cal.
The leasing system also would be eN-
tended to the oil shae and phosphate
,ands.
Extension of the coal provision ~ VS.
to include Alaska was recommended hy
Secretary Lane. who, in a letter To Rep
resentatiye Ferris, of Oklahoma, made
public iu connection with the conferees'
agreement. said tie leasing system. I'M
snfar as coal lands I'D the northern ter
ritory were concerned, had not proved
satisfactory.
Statements explaining the changes
agreed upon by the Conferees were issued
by Senator Pittman. chairman Of the
senate managers, and Representative
Ferris Of Oklahoma, chairman of the
MUSE IHdDASrfS sNpedhIBs VI ibt Id a.
reserve section Senator Pittman said:
''In substance, it prevents all develop
ment in the naval reserves. except
through flowing wells. Itese wells may
BE- leased to the parties who sunk them.
where no fraud exists upon d royalty 70
be fixed BY the department. Of not less
than one-eighth Of the oil produced.
Saves Oil DISCOVERIES.
while, III the opinion If some IF the
conferces On the part of the senate. this
is not doing full justice to the individuals
who discovered this oil and did the de
velopment. it il the best that can be OBJ
tanned and at least saves these parties
from bankruptcy.
'8The present agreement ~ the only
possible one that could be reached and.
in my opinion. is 4 better compromise
than ever against will be reached il it is
not ratified by the senate and the house.
If this legislation now fails, further ef
forts towards oil legislation will, IN my
opinion. be useless and the fight will 90
on for many years more"
Clears Knotty Situation
"lrhis legislation has been strongly
urged and recommended Nv President
Wilson and Secretary Lane throughout
their incumbency. The conferees, after
nntiring labor and effort feel that they
have achieved, in the main the things
for which the government contends and
at the same time have cleared up knot
ty situation il thn West ana have pro
vided relief for the many oil claimants
who have labored under conditions too
heavy for them to bear. The conferees
are gratifed al the results and they ex
pect the iii claimants the departments
1i6 ha