The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1920-03-19
PREFERENCE RIGHTS ARE GIVEN
H0MESTEADERS UNDER MINERAL
LEASE BILL RECENTLY PASSED
LEASING BILL AS FINALLY PASSED BY CONGRESS
GIVES SETTLERS FIRST RIGHT TO PROSPECT
ING PERMIT AND LEASE-RELIEVES
FARMERS OF ANXIETY.

Homesteaders are very much inter-
ested in that provision of the new
leasing bill which gives them
a preference right to a prospecting
permit and to lease from the govern
ment covering the lands embraced in
their entry.
Below is given a synopsis of the
leasing bill as it was finally passed
by congress-:
AS to Oil and Gas.
The secretary is authorized to grant
to any qualified applicant prospect
ing permit for period of two years
for tract of public land (including
those in national forests) not exceed
ing 1850 acres, not in a known geo.
logic structure or a producing field,
which gives the permittee for that per-
iod an exclusive right to prospect for
and develop oil and gas. He must be-
gin drilling operations in six months
and within one year drill one or more
wells to a depth of not less than 500
feet, and in the two years to a depth
of 1000 feet, unless oil or gas is soon
er discovered. On proper showing
an extension of time may be granted.
On the discovery of valuable deposits
of oil or gas, the permittee is entitled
to lease for one-fourth of the area
in the permit.
Rights may be initiated as follows:
If the applicant will erect in conspic-
uous place on the land for which he
wants permit a monument 4 feet
high and post thereon a notice stat
ing that within 80 days he will apply
for permit, he shall be entitled for
30 days to preference right over
others to a permit for the land so
identified. Within 80 days after re-
ceiving the permit, he must mark each
of the corners with substantial mon
uments. The preliminary notice to be
posted must contain the name of appli-
cant, date and description of land. Sur
veyed or unsurveyed lands may be APP
piled for.
Leases are for term of 20 years
upon a royalty of 5 per cent and a
rental of $1.00 per acre for the land,
the latter to be paid in advance. The
permittee is also entitled to a prefer
ence right to lease the remainder of
the land in his permit on royalty
basis Of II 1-2 per cent.
Lands within the known geologic
structure of producing oil or gas
field are to be leased by the secretary
under competitive bidding.
Homesteaders Protected.
The section giving agricultural
claimants preference right to pros
pecting permit reads as follows:
"Sec. 90 In the case of lands bona
fide entered as agricultural, and not
or classified as mineral at
the time of entry, but not including
ands claimed under any railroad grant
the entryman or patentee, or assigns,
where assignment was made prior to
January 1, 1913, if the entry has
been patented with the mineral pref
erence right to a permit and to a
ease, as herein provided, in case of
discovery, and within an area not
greater than at ownership such en-
;ryman and patentees, or assigns
holding restricted patents may COM
'ine their holdings, not to exceed
$500 acres for the purpose of making
oint application"
The exact wording of this section
S given as same will be found of in
crest to prospective applicants.
The synopsis is intended only to
over the general scope of the bill and
specially the provisions bearing on
he rights granted and procedure in
onnection with applications for per-
nits or leases.