Show MOVEMENT lOR OR PERMANENT RETENTION OF TITLE TITI TO ALASKAN ASKAN COAL LANDS NUS WASHINGTON Feb 24 The The r re recent rd- rd cent startling testimony concerning the value of coal Deposits in Alaska given before the senate committee on territories terri tern tories by Manager Birch of the Gug Gug- Morgan genheim-Morgan Alaskan syndicate has resulted in a movement in the senate in the interest of the permanent retention reten retention tion of the title to the Alaska coal deposits deposits deposits de de- de- de posits by the United States and bills looking to that end were introduced by br Senator Beveridge chairman of the committee on territories One bill provides provide for or the withdrawal from all forms of entry or sale of all the coal deposits of Alaska and the theother theother theother other for the leasing of ot them The leasing measure prohibits the leasing of more than 2600 acres to more than one person or association tion or for more than thirty years ears What Bills Provide It is provided that the surface overlying overlying overlying over over- lying coal deposits may be disposed of under the land laws i In presenting the bills Mr Beveridge e eI spoke poke of Mr Birch's revelations re and I presented many mally other figures ure t to th show the enormous value alue of the deposits w which ich he predicted would be needed needer m in time not only by bv the Pacific coast but by the entire country He lie placed the gross value of the Bering river and deposits at two billion dollars and said the researches re searches pf f the survey had hall revealed many other deposits in the territory He gave fifteen billion as the total tonnage of the territory On Mr Beveridge's Beveridge us testimony the bills were referred to the committee on public lands and Senator Nelson chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of that committee gave assurance that legislation would be he recommended Commenting further on the conservation conservation conserva conserva- tion of Alaskan coal Mr Beveridge said it- it was necessary that this great fuel reserve should not pass flass from the ownership of the United States It is necessary he said H that that it should b be developed and it is clear that some steps should be taken to safeguard it from private ownership and to provide for its development by lease Should Retain Title He lie called attention to the fact that if disposed of at all the Alaska coal land must be dispo disposed ed of at a flat rate of 10 an acre He pointed out that in 1906 President Roosevelt Roose withdrew all these coal lands from entry but ut that no law had ever been passed assed confirming confirming con con- firming this withdrawal It was to confirm this withdrawal and to make it the act of congress itself that he introduced the first bill Speaking of the second bill biB he said congress too long bad had delayed the application application application ap ap- ap- ap of this thill plain principle of public policy to the various mineral deposits that once belonged to the nation na na- na- na tion Had lIed this been done in the case of the iron ore deposits which long since i have ha passed into private hands said Mr Ir Beveridge the Uthe nation today would have bave gone far toward paying the expenses of the government and at the same time special special- interests now owning and operating these ore deposits deposits deposits de de- de- de posits would make reasonable profits instead of the enormous profits that have gone to build up some of the mightiest aggregations of capital and some of the tremendous fortunes in this country indeed in th the history of the we rId |