The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-02-26
NATIONAL RESOURCES ON GOV.
ERNMENT LAND WILL NOW BE
DEVELOPED RAPIDLY.
COAL IS ITS CHIEF FEATURE
Conditions Under Which This Fuel
and Oh May Be Prospeeted For
and Taken From the Public Do.
main.
by JAMES p. HoRNApAY.

on the conditions under which the gov
eminent will permit the mining OF
coal, oil, gas, phosphate and sodium
on the public domain. The bill agreed
to Is commonly known as the oil leas-
ing bill. II is the expectation of con
gress that under the legislation the
natural resources to which II relates
VIII be developed rapidly. The at
tempt to fix conditions under which
the government would permit the TAX
ing of coal, oil. gas. etc, from lands
owned by II was started away back
In the Roosevelt administration. In
every congress since that time the sub
Ject has been up. A pending piece OF
legislation relates to the development
of waterpOwer on the public domain.
II seems likely that this legislation
will also be perfected at this session.
Perhaps most interest in the legisla-
ton that has just been completed cen
tiers in the conditions under which
coal is to be taken from the public
domain. All the arrangements for
taking coal as well as the other de-
posits covered by the legislation will
have TO be made with the secretary
of the interior. The first step toward
the development of the government
owned coal land will be to subdivide
this land into leasing tracts of 40
acres each or multiples thereof. In no
case will anyone leasing tract contain
more than 1850 acres. Leases are to
be awarded by competitive bidding
There are some provisos or exceptions
written into the legislation. For in
stance, where prospecting or explor-
atory work Is necessary to determine
the existence or workabillty of coal
deposits, the secretary of the interior
may issue prospecting permit for a
term of two years for not exceeding
$500 acres and II within that period
the permittee shows to the secretary
that the land contains coal in CONNER
cial quantities. he is to be entitled TO
a lease
Restrictions on Railroads.
No lease of coal land is to be APP
proved or issued until after a notice
of thirty days has been given in a
newspaper of general circulation in
the county in which the lands or de-
posits are situated. There is also a
provision that no railroad shall be per-
mitted TO hold lease TO mine coal on
the public domain except for its own
ceive more than one permit or lease
for each 200 miles of its railroad line
within the state In which the coal land
is situated.
The most of the delay in getting
through this legislation was due 10
the inability to agree on the compen-
sation which the government should
exact. As finally agreed on the bill
provides that when the government
decides TO lease a tract of coal land
Offering Of the leases the royalty that
will be charged. This royalty Is not
TO be less than cents ton, payable
at the end OF each third month sue
ceeding that of the extraction of the
coal from the mine and an annual
rental payable at the date of the lease
and annually thereafter on the lands
or coal deposits covered by the lease a
such rate as may be fixed by the sec
rotary of the interior prior to offer
be less than % cents an acre for the
first year, not less than 80 cents al
acre for the second, third, fourth anC
fifth years and not less than 81 ar
acre for each year thereafter during
the continuance Of the lease.
Coal Leases Indeterminate.
Leases are to be for undetermined,
periods on condition OF diligent devel
opment and continued operation OF th'
mine, except when operation shall b'
interrupted by strikes. At the end o
each 20-year period the secretary o.
the interior may require readjust
ment of terms and conditions.
As TO the oil and gas. the Legislation
provides that the secretary of the I'm
terror may grant to any qualified ap
plicant the exclusive right for pc
riod not exceeding two years to pros
pect for oil and gas upon not to exceed
$500 acres OF government land. Oh
establishing TO to; satisfaction Of tn
interior department that he has locat
ed valuable deposits of oil or gas thu
permittee is TO be entitled TO a leas'
for one-fourth of the land embraces
in his prospecting permit. The leas'
is 10 be for term OF 20 years upoI
a royalty OF 5 per cent OF the valu'
OF the production and the annual pay
ment I'm advance of rental OF 81 al
acre. the rental paid for any one yea
10 be credited against the royalties a
they agree for that year.
No Big Military Legislation Likely.
II looks now as II the Unite'
States would continue TO drift s.
far as preparedness for possibl
war Is concerned. The immediate en-
actment of military legislation OF i'm
portance Is not probable. AT the pres
ent time not much interest Is beini