OCR Text |
Show no- FEDERAL CONSERVATION WORK. The midsummer work of the United States geological survey shows no lessening les-sening In conservation activities During Dur-ing tho month of June tho land classification class-ification board of the survey appraised apprais-ed 174,910 acres aB coal land In tho western states, placing a valuation thereon of $3,239,2C9. At the minimum mini-mum pricemum price under which these lands could hnvo been sold before be-fore the present regulations wero In force, this same area would have brought only $1,932,179. During June the survey al3o classified 1,415,415 acres as non-coal land and transmlt-cod transmlt-cod the findings to tho genoral land office so thai the land might bo ro-stered ro-stered to tho public domain. These classifications were based on tho field examinations of tho survey geologists. There have now been classified undor un-dor the present administration, in 40-acre 40-acre tracts, 16,873,370 acres as coal land, with the valuation of $711,992,-537. $711,992,-537. The valuation of these same lands at the minimum prices would have been $2GG,G52,431, the difference In favor of tho government under the present policy being therefore $145,-340.10G. $145,-340.10G. During the same period 3'J,-215,844 3'J,-215,844 acres have boon classified as non-coal land and restorod to tho public domain. In Juno three now withdrawals of supposed coal land were made in North Dakota and Wyoming, Wyo-ming, embracing 714,923 acres, nnd four restorations wero made in Idaho. Mpntana, Utah nnd Wyoming, aggregating aggre-gating 1.S47.2G1 acres. In connection with tho classification of oil land, the secretary of the Interior In-terior withdrew ln June 170,333 acres in Wyoming, making a total of 3,970,-429 3,970,-429 acres of oil land now stauding withdrawn and awaiting neoded legislation legis-lation In tho Interests of tho conservation conser-vation of tho nation's extensive petroleum pe-troleum deposits. In administration of the pbosphatic lands 149,129 acreo found not to contain con-tain phosphate deposits wore restored to entry, leaving a total of 2,399,410 acres of phosphate land standing withdrawn and also awaiting necessary neces-sary legislation The tonnage of these Important deposits, has rtx?en conservatively conserv-atively estimated at ovor two billion tons of high-grade phouphato rock. Of land aw liable for tho development develop-ment of wator power 10,019 acres wero withdrawn during the month .by the secretary of the Interior, making a total of 1,515,423 acres, including thousands of water-power sites, standing stand-ing withdrawn In aid of proposed legislation leg-islation which shall allow for their development and yet protect tho interests in-terests of th public. Dampenod corn meal will clean straw hats. ' 4 |