Show l VALUE AliUE UE OF OP COAL LANDS Some l Idea e of the value alue of oC the coal lands landa landl of or the Indian Territory may bo be gained in reading an extract from rom an a address M delivered in tho the senate Imato on Thur Thursday day last latt by Mr La L Follette Folette of Wisconsin i Speaking Speaking a against the polIcy policy pol pol- icy tey o of leasing Indian lnolan lan lands s to the railroad Mr 11 La Follette said ald Mr President I desire to address addres the senate briefly upon that portion porton of or the conference report which deals eals with the coal lands Janus of or the Indian Territory Tho The senator minter from om V Wyoming 01 Mr Clark in referring to tho the value of ot these coal lands lanes said the they were were easily worth from front to 50 CO- CO Right at al the outset the sunato sun sun- ate uto can be he Impressed with the fact tact el that thc they are dealing with property tho value of or which 1 is ls great greatly in cx- cx ec of ot that sum There can cn be bc no flO better beter authority for fOI time tho value of or these coal lands landH than tho the United States tates Geological Survey Under Its direction these thee lands hands have bo been n carefully surveyed sUf eee with respect to coal eDt deposit There arc are acres of or coal 1 J. J lands hinds IlL In the Indian Territory The veins of ot ore In ko so 10 far fal a as the time outcroppings outcroppings outcrop- outcrop pings will wi indicate have been carefulLy carefully care care- fully un located Of that amount O 00 itY acres acre or 01 a little lel less leas than one- one C fourth have been lea leased d. d Tho The In Indians Indians In- In dla receive recel c 8 S cents cent per ton us as a royalty Q aJ under th these sc Ie lenses leases le This yields upon tho the average a HOl per pel acre in iii alo assured the ro royalties alte alone I am a by G Geological o Survey Sur lY that this would be bea a faIr fall av average rage for fOI the ro royalties alte upon the tho remaining c lands land This I Is a I most remarkable depo deposit lt of ul cual coal running from bituminous coal col of not a vel very high grade up to almost anthracite In l aJ quality There I la Is no nn other like de deposit so far Car as I 1 Iam Iam am am able to ascertain of or bituminous coal cual In the country Appl Applying the ascertained value of or th the thu lo royalties In so 6 far tar a as these coal lands have been mined to the remaining remain remain- ing trig lands lands' lanet the tl computation would show how all al the thc lands hands to be he worth In royalties alone l I I. believe beHove If It I the senate enate can get et even an aim approximation to the Importance of or the subject with which we are dealing it J will wi call cal a halt hal here and now upon an any further disposal al of J the these theme c lands until the thu tw resolution offered offered of of- b by the lie Senator from rim Wyoming for an Investigation t aln of ff this whole matter shall Khal have boon been pass passed d an anIle Ile Investigation t aton made mude It I and the then n results report reported e to 0 the senate enatt The value of or this coal eual as mined Is from from ClOI to 2 a ton at the mine Taking 2 p per ton as aH time the value of oC the coal at the mouth of the mine 11 It m means ans that there then I Is a n value aue of oC coal deposit In these lands land upon the thea a average of or per JIN acre Applying Apply Apply- ing log this n ure to the tire entire p acreage e makes maliNI a total valuation of or for 0 these theo coal lands lants In the Indian Territory something nHI more inure T I think than a third of or the capitalIzed capitalized capital capital- value alue of oC all al tho railroads s of oC the theCo Co coun country u n t t. t iy Mr h Pre President the time senate should proceed with extreme mc caution cauton in dealIng dealing deal deal- ealIng eal- eal Ing Ing with wih property properly of this Immense va alue value I u e. e What hat Is our responsibility with wih re respect 1 re- re to It The The government Is th the tru trustee lee of oC the Indians who own It I. I Their interest l must be he protected to the last dollar dolar Whenever henc disposed of oC It I Is the dut duty of the government to protect the public which is if dependent depend depend- ent upon these lands for 01 fuel fuel Mr Mi TIlIman Timan Can the senator tell tellus tellus us how long these leases run Mr 1 La Follette I think the thc leases run for thirty fol years ears So I sy say Mr rr fr PI President esi nt that w WI vi must proceed with wih th the greatest cauton cau cau- ton tion Wo We should take tak a le lesson on from the conditions existing with respect to the tho coal lan lands s alrea already y leased ca ee In Inthe Inthe tIme the the Indian Territory through the In Interior Interior In- In Department under provisions for which cOI congress ress is responsible What is the he situation there at the present time as to the portion porton of the land already ady under lease leme 1 There are arc 11 lea leases es and ane 52 o of them are arc openly under the control of oC railroad com companies pan IN h There rc are live railroad companies whose lines run through this coal region The These roads connect COI- COI con with lines hues which distribute this coal cual over 1 0 something like miles of oC railroad Th e re Is a vast area fea of country dependent upon tho ho coal of the he Indian Territory for fuel fuel Within the next five f e years not less than 10 OO people will wi take their fuel supply from Crom rein these coal coil beds beds As Asto Asto Asto to the tw lands already leased the pub- pub life ilic Ile are completely at the merc mercy of these companies Their Their- conrd control control con con- rd Is absolute The They dictate as to conditions and prices prices Mr Mt r. r La Ln Follette argued for a n re refusal refusal re- re of oC all 31 leases leses to railroad or 0 other companies until uni the the- senate had hal had hadan hadan hadan an opportunity to Investigate In the who whole matter mater And it I is likely lely that In the course of oC the he present summer ummer a commission commission will wl o from congress s tomake a stud study of the thc present l rich ch fuel luel Held wit with a view not only of conserving the interests of the In Indians In- In but of taking such care of the general Interests of ot the coal consuming in lug ing public as ma may be bc It l is hr believed etl belc that a field greater reater than that of Illinois or West cst Virginia will be bC opened l by the development of oC the Indian Territory mines And becaUse because because be be- cause of that hat the whole country countr Is interested In the best lo possible disposition dis dis- els- els Jo position Hion of or th time the properties |