, 1877-08-01
PUBLIC LANDS.
The Interior Department Reforming Certain
Abuses.

The Interior Department Reforming CertAln
Abuses.
tspeefat Disp1fch to me TytsHne
WASHINGTON, D. e., july 31.-in 1875, when
Thomas A. Hendricks Was Commissioner bf the
Genera! Land Office, Circular was issued direct
Ing the RegIaters and Receivers Of public lands
t0ltok after tho timber belonging to the Enttesl
States, prevent depreaattons upon II, and rot-
1cct the vnlue Ut all that vas cut" Under these
regulations the pins timber on the public
lands has nerer been properly protected. In
twenty years thu total receipts OF tho Gov
ernmcnt from tfts source have been ont5
Sl50,o0o, while the expenses Of collect
tng hare amounted to f50,oUo Persons who
hare cut timber on the public lands hare zen.
orally made thcts uwn estimate Of the amount
and vhlue of It II they have thought that tls
Register and isccctycr knew Of the cutting, but
nnuch more frequeutIY they hare paid nothing.
So extensive have thrsu deprcdRstons bum that
one report puts the number bf mtlls on the
Sahtpe River and In that vicinity In Louisiana
lands ut eighteen, atld regular lines Of vessels
arc nuw engaged III carrying their product 10
market. The Government has not received
payment Tor One.ttntlt ot tlts timber.
In Atarc!, new policy was adopted. Special
agents were scnt to Minnesota md Louisiana
With t11ttruet!uns to investigate the whole sub
1crt fully. These ngcnts have. made personal
itIsperttuu uf tie tluVerllIncnt lands, nn1 hare
mule nutcs uf the ainuutt Ut timber cut uuun
them during. tic past selson. They llRye tlle'i
seized The ltEs, a1l,l n"w slava la'ssesslnil Of
lave been svIxcsl,. *o0.0U worth In MIN
frsota. seych million, feet, lsoard measure,
vi logs havo olrcatty lccn seized. Iii
the bootns on lhe Aiississtppl aE1 81. cro!x Riy.
yrs were Ut lcast SaI.lNo wUrtt, mud others will
nnfyrt1 II tf,tf1ts a
Ut tic Government 10 tt,ake no compromise
with tho men who hayc tut tlitso logs without
getting tlrIr full value, nt,d II the courta do uot
thruw obsta.lgs III tl1c way It IL xpe:tctl that
mud tic money will b. turned into tc Treasury.
II this movement Ii successful tho Navcrnt.ent
will nut only slaYe eiyca moro tnoiluy iur uEH
cut OH i'l0Iic lands during the lat season than
during twenty years before, hut VIII havc dona
Congress will probably bc asked at lis next
session to nudity Tho laws relating to tho sale
of plne lands belonging. to tho Government.
'rllcv cut now l'e aclulrcd only bY prc.cmptiln
2s homestead; except ty tue location ot sertat.,
under tho homestead laws is utterly tlnpUsst!c:
NJ man can make iartn oas Of ptnc lands, and
to eain u legal pussession II them he must
swear toa iir. T'is prevents tho disposition U!
pcfsons WIN aru willing 10 rcs.ft L
cvastun to secure sIlp1n. The cl,an9e thu. ls,ls
been ta]HeI of Is to have tic lAntis properly Ait
pralsed, and held at fair price. Tile pint
lanls ot Minnesota arc worth, M I'm average
from $40 to eW M M'e, a,l It Is hell ts'a'
there Is NJ rcaAon why thcy sluu.l not 1T sult
At those pl:cs. Under ttte former sYstGm, Tux
elai.tcstiuc cutting Ut ttntcr Ut. Government
1aIts Injuries them moro lIlan the m rrc salut
of the timber cut olr, Icea',sc lumlrrn'rn dis
been cut. Hsld arG Wiling to pay u uluch leu!
proportlonate prize.