Arizona citizen., 1875-11-20


 been held subject only to pre-emptior and homestead entry.
 ! The product of these lands is of uni versal use, and forms the staple of com merce of no incOnsiderable portion Ot the nation. The difference between the Government price and the actua' value thereof is large, yet Congres. provides that these lands shall be dis posed of under the pre-emption law. at $1.25 per acre, or under the home stead laws, by communication under the eighth section of the act of 1869 at tho same rate.
 It is true the law provides that ir the discretion ofthe President, this clas. oflands may be proclaimed and sold at public outcry to the highes, bidder The experience of this Office show, this method to be entirely intellectual ! for the reasons First, that under the ordinary system of surveys the field notes" cannot disclose, with any de gree of accuracy, which are pine lands and which are not and, second. Una, there Is little room for doubt that combinations are formed among pur chasers at Government public sales whereby prices are kept down to a merely nominal figure. The usual result is, therefore, the Government receives fhe minimum price of the lands, less than the large expense of three months advertising required by law. Another and greater evil results from such public sales under existing laws. This Office having, as I have before stated, no reliable means of dis tinguishing pine lands, it is reduced 10 the necessity of including in the proclamation all lands supposed to contain pine. It results that only such small portions of the tracts proclaimed as are known to the purchasers to con tain pine are sold, while the great mass of them, receiving no bid, remain with ,he Government as offered lands, |" subject thencefOrth to private cash pur- chase without settlement and become the easy prey of nonresident spec ulators, thus defeating the now well established and beneficient policy of the Government in that regard. The remarks here made apply as well to the [" fir lands " of the Pacific as to the pine lands east ofthe Rocky Mountains, and are indeed of more importance as bearing on the question of future dis posals of fir land, since the quantity of "pine lands " remaining unsurveyed and unsOld is now comparatively linn tied. Under this state of facts I would urgently recommend the passage of a law providing:
 First. That pine and fir lands shall not be subject to entry under the pre- cmption and homestead laws
 Second. That a system of surveys shall be devised by which the quantity ofpine and fir in each smallest sub division of section may be at least closely approximated
 Third. That an immediate explora- ton by experts of the unsurveyed DOT tions of those States and Territories known to contain pine or fir be author ized, with a view of ascertaining the geographical situation of pine and fir districts or fields.
 Fourth. That the reports of such explorations be followed by immediate survey of these districts.
 Fifth. That survey be followed by immediate appraisal, proclamation, and sale, at not less than the appraised value, and for cash only.
 As l have indicated in the foregoing suggestions, l am strongly of the opin- ion that the wisest policy the Govern ment can pursue in respect to this class of lands, is that which will most speed ly divest it of title in the same for a fair consideration, for the reason that depredatiOns to an enormous extent are constantly occurring, which exist ing laws are powerless to prevent and seemingly equally powerless to punish.