142 CLASSIFICATION OF THE PUBLIC LANDS. 



mitted to the General Land Office many reports that have been a 

 guide to action by that office and have been equivalent in many 

 cases to nonmineral classification and in a few cases to mineral 

 classification, no withdrawals and no formal classifications of lands 

 because of their content of any of these minerals have been made. 

 Although such minerals are useful and valuable, they are not iri 

 general of so great present or prospective use or value as coal and 

 certain other nonmetalliferous minerals contained in lands for whose 

 classification more specific provision has been made. Practically all 

 minerals are of some value, but those of greatest value are naturally 

 those which have the greatest present or future use and which are 

 at the same time most easily or profitably marketable. Sand, for 

 example, is of great use, but it is so common that in most localities 

 it has almost no market value. Therefore, although the lands con- 

 taining the nonmetalliferous minerals here discussed are, at the dis- 

 cretion of the President, subject to withdrawal and classification 

 under the act of June 25, 1910, as amended by the act of August 

 24, 1912, there is no such public need for segregating these lands 

 as there is for segregating lands containing deposits of such min- 

 erals as coal, oil, potash, and phosphate. Nevertheless, should it be 

 deemed by the President to be in the public interest to withdraw or 

 to classify as mineral land an area containing any of these deposits, 

 because of a public need for a present or a future reserve supply, 

 or with a view to preventing alienation of the mineral'deposits under 

 laws relating to nonmineral land, or as an aid to future disposition, 

 his action would be based on a question of fact which it is the prov- 

 ince of the Geological Survey to determine. So long as such with- 

 drawal or classification is not deemed to be in the public interest, 

 however, the land will remain open to exploration, discovery, occu- 

 pation, and purchase under the mining laws unless Congress shall 

 otherwise provide. 



METALLIFEROUS MINERAL LANDS. 

 PURPOSE OF CLASSIFICATION. 



The usual object in view in a consideration of the classification of 

 nonmetalliferous lands as mineral land is to obtain their temporary 

 withdrawal from entry, either to permit their appraisal, as in the 

 case of coal land, or to await protective legislation, as in the case of 

 potash or phosphate land. But metalliferous lands, as such, are not 

 subject to withdrawal, and their classification is directed to other 

 objects, which will be indicated by a brief account of some cases that 

 have been considered by the Geological Survey. 



