Show LEASING BILL NOW IN HANDS OF PRESIDENT Will Open Up Millions of Acres of Western Lands Lauds I Tho fight tight wa waged cd In Congress since 1902 to establish federal control of ot public public pub pub- lic lie land policies has lias been ended by the passage o of or the oil and gas ns leasing teasing bill which has lias gone gono through both houses The bill Is Senate bill No 2772 which is a much rewritten measure and the details hav have been haggled over for tor months According AccordIng- to a message re received rc- rc re-I re from irom Senator Reed Smoot the bill bUl is now In the hands of or the toe dent rho Tho last Item to stall the conference committee after aCtor agreement had been reached last week was section 19 thelast tho the last paragraph of or which was finally adopted reading as follows All permits and leases hereunder shall Inure to the benefit of ot the claimant claimant claim claim- ant ant and all persons claiming claiming- through or under tinder him by lease contract or otherwise as their Interests may appear appear appear ap ap- ap- ap pear provided pro that no claimant acQuIrIng acquiring ac ac- ac- ac quiring QuIrIng- an any interest In such euch lands since October 1 I 1919 shall shaH secure a permit or lea lease e thereon under this section TIe The bill provides that 10 per cent of or oraH all aH mone money received from sales bonuses royalties and rentals excepting tho those so from Crom Alaska shall he be paid Into the the treasury of or the tho United States and credIted credited credited cred cred- to miscellaneous receipts The Tho final division of or royalties as agreed upon was as follows To the state 37 per cent to the thc United States reclamation fund 52 percent to the treasury treasur of ot the United States tates 10 per cent These items were the thc result of or a a. out long fight and a a. compro compro- mise Tho bill provides no maximum royalty minimum royalties only havIng hav hav- ing ing- b been en fixed Tho The maximum royalties royal- royal tIr ties 1 nr ar n I-A I loft tt tn Oh nt Inn f ef ti th n secretary of oi r the l Interior terl Th The co comise compro comro- compromise mise measure provides that the tho total amount of ot royalties to bo be paid shall bo be d determined at erm In e d b by 3 Co competitive m p e I I t lye b bidding i d ii i n g and antl the maximum Is fixed at acres for tor oil lands 2560 acres for coal with witha a maximum of or 5 cents per pcr ton for Cor coal Tim The maximum acreage for phosphate and sodium lands is tho the same samo as for coal while the tho oil shalo ahab provision fixes the thc maximum acreage at The bill is a complete reversal re of or the original land poll policy C of or the United States which extended tho the right of patent for oil and mineral lands hut but which right has been largely m logical and Ineffective c since presidential withdrawals began some years ears ago and since tho the Interior department adopted tim the policy polley through which continuous con con- additions were made to these withdrawals even In developed dc or developing de de- developing de- de eloping areas after alter the making of or se secret secret secret se- se cret Investigations and filing filing- of secret reports Opens Open II lug I Acreage About acres of ot supposed coal lands In the west about acres of supposed oil lands and about acres of or supposed phosphate lands together with hundreds of or thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of or acres of or sodium all of ot which arc are scattered through several states are arc finally I naIl opened up to public development development devel devel- under a permanent leasing leasing- t tern tem em Tho The fight tight has been a long and ex expensIve expensive ex- ex pensive one Tho rights of or the west and antl particularly state rights have havo been Jeopardized by tho enthusiastic federal control school which seemed scented to take tako lead in proclaiming federal over or state rl rights and during the past two years ears the tue fight l ht which has sometimes sometimes some some- times been a very ery bitter one has been I largely confined to an attempt to se secure so- so I cure curo justice for those who sho prior to withdrawals had either cither filed upon or developed properties In the tho areas with with- drawn There has never been a measure measure meas meas- ure mora more bitterly fou ought fought ht out along alon h n 0 3 WIlU IV on the part of the administration tion to give Ivo no quarter quarterS and antl to allow no liberality in lii phrasing and the billas bill lull billas as now completed complete while completed a complete defeat for tor or states rights rig advocates p practically rall lea 11 results in confiscation of ot otman maul man many prop properties which have been heen continually con con- added to h liy by process of or absorption absorption tion and coalition between corporations beyond bond the extent of the acres al allowed allowed nl- nl lowed as a a. Jp leasing limit It Is said that one ono estate alone will lose loso more than b by the application atlon of the technical clauses allowing con confiscation confiscation cation allon beyond the tho limited acrea acreage e. e Those having having- filed claims purchased ed rl rights or In an any wa way acquired claims I upon withdrawn previous to the I dates Involved lu will be hc allowed first privilege in tho the matter of le leasing u on licenses The Tue passage c of or the tho hill bill ends the polI policy pol pol- I icy fry of or withdrawals established under tinder tho Tuft Tart administration and will permit permit permit per per- mit development under a leasing system system tem tern whereby the government and tate state automatically become Interested In the development of coal oil shale and phosphate phosphate phosphate phate lands landa in the west vest If H the land lani landH Is IN H good tho prospector cart can prosecute his claim for Cor patent provided he ho has established his hit rl right ht previous to tho the withdrawal and if IC the land Is 1 not noL goodho good goodho I ho he Is permitted under the leaMing act to abandon his claim by relinquishment without prejudice to other holdings Oj Open rn 1 Fields One immediate and antl direct effect Is that many of oC the favorably located structures In western states that have ha be been n withdrawn In recent years will now nov bo be opened for Cor exploration development development develop develop- ment and lease The Tho fight Light against the tho patenting patenting- system Hatem has been very detrimental detri mental and costly to the thc entire Industrial Industrial Indus Indus- trial development of oC tho thin tiiu or j. j will bo be the tho releasing of oC to to tho the school and antl road funds of the thc states Interested and one ono of tho the best hest features of the bill was finally agreed upon Is that lint except for tOl- tho the 10 per ct cent nt which thich Is to be he directly Into the treasury of tho the United States all of or the leasing and ro royalty all money is to be t spent pent in the west vest for tor such Im Improvements improvements im- im pro as reclamation schools roads etc The Alaskan clause in iii the oil leasing bill will it is believed open a n vast area arca of or oil lands In Alaska It is said by representatives of or various corporations corpora corpora- lions ions now in itt Washington that lint the Alaskan conditions are favorable and ami that the they will quickly rc result ull in large Jarge development in that territory |