Show LEASING BILL NOW IN HANDS OF PRESIDENT Will Vill rill Open Up Millions l of Acres of Western Lands Lauds The fight waged aged In Congress since 1902 to est establish federal control of ot public pub pub- lie lic fc land policies has been ended by the passage of ot the thc oil and gas leasing bill which has gone gooe through both houses The Thc bill Is Senate bill No 2772 which Is a much rewritten measure and the details ba have ha been haggled over for months According to a message re received re- re I from S Senator Reed Smoot the bill is now in the hands of or the i dent ent Tho The last item to stall the conference I committee after actor Agreement had hall been boen reached last week was section i 1 19 thelast tho the I last paragraph of which was finally adopted reading as follows All permits an and leases hereunder shall Inure to the benefit of ot the thc claimant claimant claimant claim claim- ant and all persons claiming through or under him b by lease contract or otherwise as their interests may appear appear appear ap ap- ap- ap I pear provided that no claimant ac acquiring no- no quiring an any interest in such lands since October 1 1 1919 shall secure a permit or lease thereon under this section The bill provides that 10 per cent atall of at all mone money received from sales bonuses royalties and rentals excepting those from Alaska shall be paid Into the treasury treasur of oC tho the United d States and credIted credited cred cred- to miscellaneous receipts The final division of oC royalties as agreed upon was as follows To the thc state per cent to the United States reclamation fund 52 percent to the thc treasury of oC the tho United States tates 10 per cent These items were the thc result of ot a a. out long-drawn-out fight and a compro compro- mise The bill provides provides' no maximum f royalty a n minimum un royalties l only ly hay hav Jug ing ucon ino mo maximum royalties royalties royal royal- ties tics are aro left to the discretion of oC tho the secretary of ot the thc interior Thc The compromise compro compro- mise measure provides that the total amount of royalties to be paid shall be bed d determined et e r m in e d b by y com competitive p e t i t i ye bidding and ami tho the maximum Is fixed at acres for oil lands lande 2560 acres for coal with witha a maximum of or 5 cents per ton for coal I Tho The maximum acreage for tor phosphate and sodium lands Is the same as for or coal while whilo tho oil shalo ahab provision fixes the thc maximum acreage at The bill is a a. complete reversal of or tIle the original land hand policy of the thc United States Slates which extended extend cd the right of patent for oil and mineral lands but which right has been large largely mythological mythological logical an and ineffective since presidential withdrawals began some somo years ago and since the thc Interior department adopted the thc policy through which continuous continuous continuous con con- additions were made mado to these withdrawals even In developed or developing developing de do- areas after ater the thc making of oC se secret so- so cret crot investigations and filing of or secret reports Opens Open nl Big Acreage About acres acres of oC supposed coal lands in the thc west vest about acres of supposed oil lands and about acres of supposed phosphate lands together with hundreds of oC thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of oC acres of sodium all nIl of ot which arc scattered through several states slates arc finally opened up UI to public development devel devel- under a permanent leasing t tem em The Tho fight has been a long and expensive ex ex- ex- ex pensive one The rl rights of ot the tho west and particularly state slate rights have been Jeopardized by tho the enthusiastic federal control school chool which seemed to 10 take tako lead in proclaiming proclaim In federal over state rights and during tho past two years cars thc the fight tight which has sometimes sometimes some seine times been a n ver very bitter biller one has been lar largely ely confined to lo an attempt to se secure so- so cure curo justice for Cor those who prior to withdrawals had either cither filed upon or developed properties In tho the areas with with- drawn There has never been measure measure meas meas- ure nrc more moro bitterly fought out along technical lines lIne with apparent determination deter deter- ruination on tho the part of oC the administration tion to give Ivo no quarter and to to allow no liberality In phrasing and tho bill billas billas as now completed while completed while a n. complete defeat for fop states rights advocates practically ay results In confiscation of many properties which have been continually continually continually con con- added to by hy process of absorption absorption tion and coalition between corporations beyond the thc extent of oC tho tim OO acres al allowed allowed al- al lowed hewed as a leasing limit It Is said that one estate estale alone alono will lose more than by the tho application of or orth th the technical clauses allowing confiscation confiscation conCh conCh- cation Catlon beyond tho the limited acrea acreage c. c Those having filed claims claim purchased purchaser rights or in an any wa way acquired claims upon withdrawn lands previous to the tho I dates 8 Involved will bo be allowed first privilege e in iii the matter of oC leasing on licenses The Thc passa passage e of tho bill ends the thc policy polie pol pol- ie icy of withdrawals established under th the Taft TaCt administration and will permit permit per per- mit development under a leasing system tem teri whereby the government and slate state automatically become Interested in the development lIc of coal oil shale and phosphate phosphate plies plies- phate lands In 11 the thc west I If f the tho land landis I IK is good tho the prospector can prosecute his claim for Cor patent provided ho lie has established his right previous pre to 10 the withdrawal and find it if the tho land IH is not nol good goodhe he Is IB permitted under the leasing leaning act to lo abandon his claim by relinquishment without prejudice to other holdings Open One immediate and direct effort effect is that many of or the tho favorably located structures in tn western states tales that have been lIeen withdrawn In recent years will now be opened for exploration development development development develop develop- ment and lease The Tho fight against the tho patenting system has hus been heen very ery detrimental detri- detri mental and costly to tho the entire Industrial Industrial industrial Indus Indus- trial development of ot the thc W wont Ht Another immediately favorable effect will bo be tho the releasing ln of to 10 to tho school and road funds of oC the thc states slates Int Interested rested and ono one of oC the best besl features of or tho the bill was finally a agreed upon IH is that except for foi tho the 30 10 0 per cent which is 11 to be he paid directly I into tho the treasury of oC the thc United States all till of the tho leasing and royalty royally merle mone money i is to be he spent nt In the west vest for such Im Improvements ito ito- p ro V Cm o II ts a as S roe reclamation I am a t I 0 0 schools roads roach etc te The Thc Alaskan clause In hi the oil leasing bill will It Is believed open a a. a vast I CIrca area of or oil lands In iii Alaska It Jl I IK is ald nl bv Ly representatives of lit corporations corpora corpora- Lions now no In Washington that the Alaskan con conditions arc rc favorable and that they will 1 result In large development dC In that territory |