COAL LANDS. On 1 July 1864 the first act which specifically mentions coal lands in the public domain became law. This law fixed the minimum price at $20 per acre but in 1873 an act was passed reducing the price to $10 per acre where the land purchased was situated more than 15 miles from a completed railroad. Only 160 acres are allowed to individuals, whereas associations may enter 320 acres, or twice that numner after they have expended $5,000 in development. An effort has been made to induce Congress, as part of the pro gram to conserve the natural resources of the country, to provide for the lease or sale of coal deposits without the rights to the soil, sub ject to various regulations. Up to 1 Nov. 1910, pending legislation, more than /30,000,000 acres of coal lands had been withdrawn from entry. On 22 June 1910 an act became law providing for the entry of coal lands as agri cultural lands, but to the United States is re served all right and title to any coal in such lands and the right to prospect for, mine and remove the coal.
By act of 6 June 1900 such of the public land laws as related to coal lands were ex tended to Alaska but since these laws contem plated a public survey before location a supple mentary act was passed 28 Apnl 1904 permit ting individuals to locate claims of 160 acres (at a flat rate of $10 per acre) by permanent monuments, and when entry applications were made (within three years) they were to be accompanied by plats and notes of private sur veys. Individuals soon learned that condi tions in Alaslca prevented the profitable work ing of a 160-acre claim independently and ac cordingly on 28 May 1908 Congress passed a remedial act permitting the consolidation of individual claims located in good faith up to 2,560 acres of contiguous land, but the act contained a stringent anti-monopoly provision.
On 12 Nov. 1906 an executive order was issued withdrawing all coal lands in Alaska from entry under the coal land laws, but a later order modified this so as not to apply to claims which had been made prior to that date. In 1914 another act was passed to settle the dis puted question of AlasIca coal lands, a part of the lands being reserved and the rest arranged in such a way as to prevent the monopoly of the coal deposits by any co-operation. On 30 Dec. 1914, the United States Conunissioner of Public Lands issued an order under the pro visions of which several local permits have been issued for the free mining of coal lands comprising 10 acres or less. There have been several accusations made against public offi cials in connection with the methods of acquir ing these lands, which led to the Bal linger-Pinchot controversy, the Congressional investigation of the Interior Department and the Forest Service, the dismissal of Pinchot and Glavis and the subsequent resignation of Secretary Ballinger. See Punic DOMAIN ; LANDS, Punic. Consult (Public Coal and Public Rails and Private Farms and Private Gold in Alaska,) in Everybody's Magazine, Vol. XXXII, pp. 781-82 (June 1915) ; U. S. General Land Office, (Coal Land Laws and Regulations Thereunder) (Washington) ; (Un developed Coal in the Public Domain of Alaska,) in The Outlook, Vol. XCIV, pp. 505 06 (5 March 1910) ; Van Hise, C. R., (Con servation of Natural Resources) (New York 1910).