The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1932-09-30
(By /. M. Brandjord)

pending in Congress, proposes t
grant to the states in which tn
lands are located vast areas o
public lands Including the miner
ais therein" In the discussion o
this proposal in our own state, one
sided emphasis has been placed OF
the metalliferous minerals while
the other minerals, such as coal
oil, gas and phosphate coming un
der the grant and a thousand times
more important to the future Of
our state are usually entirely ig
nored. An article on this subject
by my friend, Joseph Oker, the
county treasurer of Lewis and
Clark county and former Register
of the U. S. Land Office at Helena,
published September 4th, furnishes
an Illuminating exposition of the
prevailing misunderstanding. In
order that an intelligent opinion
on this vital subject may be form
ed, I shall endeavor to call atten-
ton to certain facts relating to the
subject and to the outstanding
features of the proposed legislation
as it will affect the delevopment
of the State of Montana.
AS compared with the non-metal-
lie minerals such as phosphate,
coal, oil and gas, the metallic min
erals in the proposed land grant
are likely to be utterly insignifi-
cant. The article by Mr.. Oker furn-
ishes a convincing illustration of
this point. He states that since
1927 ''the royalties brought in to
the State Land Office less than
$1,000. If we say "metalliferous
royalties that is approximately
correct; but what about the States
royalties on coal, oil and gas? Fig
ures in this office show that be-
ginning with the fiscal year end
ing November 80, 1919. and termi-
mating with June 80, 1882, the to-
tai amount collected as rentals and
royalties under coal, oil and gas
leases reached the substantial sum
of 81, S42,292.S4. That is more
than 1874 thousand times the a.
mount received in metalliferous
royalties.
Mineral prospecting permits have
been issued by the hundreds by
this department during the five
year period mentioned, but NJ mine
producing metalliferous minerals
in commercial quantities has been
discovered. BY the way, how many
mining claims located throughout
the entire State of Montana dur
ing the last ten or twenty years
have resulted in the discovery Of
commercial mines now operating?
Phosphate, Coal, Oil and Gas Now
Reserved by the United States
1t is a we'll known fact that since
1J1O InS OuACtu OCdISS Ids ISSSl
ed coal, oil and gas from lands
taken under the homestead laws.
According to figures furnished by
the General Land Office nuder the
date of December IS, 1929, the to-
tai area of lands classified as coal
lands in the State of Montana and
reserved by the United States en-
braces S,563,S62 acres. The oil
Withdrawals embrace 1~,350,426
acre. the phosphate withdrawals
279,944 acres. What untold wealth
is stored up in these vast areas re- j
served by the Government of the
United States in the State of Mon
tana? 1t is commonly estimated
that the State of Montana has with J
in its boundaries more than 400
tons of ocal, or approximate
ly one-eighth of the worlds entire
supply of coal. Not all of this emo
mous quantity Of coal is reserved
and owned by the United States,
but very. very substantial portions :
thereof. A royalty Of 10c per ton :
400 billions would come to 40 /
dollars. The total assessed !
of all the taxable wealth /
of the State of Montana as final
ly equalized by the State Board of
EOualizatiOn for the wear 1891 a. |
mounted to $1,000, 425, 2O7.O0. That l
is the full valuation of all taxable l
property within the State of Mon (
tana. not the percentage valuation {
which the taxes are computed. :
The los royalty of 40 billion dol l
lars is more than 80 times the to- u
tai of Montana's assessed valua- {
ton for 1881.
The bill of Senator Walsh pro
poses to turn over this enormous,
incomprehensible amount of wealth
10 the State of Montana and its
people. This is one of the outstand-
ng features of the Walsh bill. Here
lies its vast Importance. Com
pared to this in~calcluable amount
If riches. the value of the metalli-
,erus minerals in the lands propos-
"a ~ ba oroutad IN o11r Ctata IS