Show COAL LAND DECISION L A decision of the utmost importance relative to the entry and purchase of utah coal lands has been rendered by franklin K lane secretary of the interior this decision relates to the coal land filing made by W S mccornick of salt lake city and it virtually reverses other decisions and ruling previously made by officials of the general land office and will probably call for refunds to land claimants who under protest have complied with decisions made by these officials and make unnecessary hereafter the payment for coal lands at prices higher than those named in the classification under which filings were made in 1911 mr mccornick filed upon acres of coal land in emery county at that time under the classification the land was valued at 25 per acre when the period arrived for making final proof a reclassification of the lands had been made advancing prices to and per acre and the local land office refused to issue patent at 25 per acre in rendering his decision secretary lane held that mr mccornick accepted the offer of the united states to sell the land at 25 and that the government would be breaking its contract if it refused to sell the land at that price providing the purchaser complied with the regulations of the department in making his final proof ill 7 the decision the secretary recalled all pre pa decisions that are in conflict here with making the decision retroactive and making necessary the refund of ls large rge amounts in like purchases but in which clithe the higher values named in new classifications had been paid for patent |