Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-28
LAND AND LAND lAws.

So'no SuEKeations offered to Tho Csn-
ln%lssion.
ROckp0rt Pioneer.
On the ID day Of March 1879. coparess
passed . law providing tor . public land
commission. and charged said commission
With the duty Of codifvinR the present laws
relating to the survey and disposition Of the
public domain; second, q system and stand.
ard OF classification of public ispds: a. ara
Ole. irr'gab!e, timber, pastursge, coal. min
eral lands. and such other classes % may he
deemed proper, having due regard To hu-
nudity OF climate, supply Of water for irri-
cation, and other physical characteristics /:
thifd, q system OF land %parcelling surveys.
adapted to the economic uses of the several
classes OF lands, and, fourth, such recom-
mendations rs they may deem Wise 10 rela-
tlon 10 the best method of disposiDe Of the
public lands of the western portion of the
United States to actual settlers.
In pursuance of this duty the commission
hes submitted IT, the public se~venty-eisht
questions and If correct and truthful an
swere are returned TO oil these questions.
much valuable information will be eained
by the department Of the interior. Iufor-
nation which will result in wholesome leg.
is,atton. To enter into Q full detail of this
subject, and give our views of the manv
questions rahed by the commission, would
require more space and time than We have
to devote; but to the one inquiry which
our readers are most deeply interested in,
We have q word to say:
The 9th question under the first sub.diyi.
sion desires to know the cost and time ex.
pended in procuring a public land title?
We answer, much more than was intended
by the government when free homes were
granted TO the settler. In many cases the
homesteader pays not less than one dollar
per acre for his land. There are many
causes for tits, some of which grow out Of
the rules adopted in contest cases, and in
forcing contests, between adverse claimants
when the riehtful claimant could be ascer-
tanned at the time of final proof without the
expense of contest. We believe we could
suggest changes in the homestead in relation
to the mode of application, which would in
many cases save the settler sufficient to buy
him a COW or team.
But the most important and most expen-
sive cause of this expenee, the commission
does not touch. This is the location of the
local land Offices of the government. Who
can contemplate the location ofthese Offices
to-day in Dakota and escape the conclusion
That the best means have been adopted 10
make the lands as expensive as possible to
the actual settler. Every land Office in the
territory is located on the extreme n side
Of the land district, and in the midst Of
lands which have been claimed and occupied
for years. This of course entails an unnec.
essary expenditure, which cripples the poor
settler, delays the development of the coun.
try; and the government receives no benefit
therefrom. If this public land commission
would take this matter into consideration. il
will result in a change OF nearly every land
office in the west. Take for instance, the
Springfield district. The land Office is
at Springfield, away out of the reach
o the public lands yet to be settled. Re-
move this Office TO Mitchell and twenty-five
dollars per annum would be saved
in expense alone to the settlers.
Five hundred settlers have already sign
a petition praying for the establishment
Of a land district including the territory
north and south between townships SO and
lib, and east and west between range SIS,
and the Missouri river. A land office estab-
llshed at almost any point within this prop
osed district, would be accessible 10 set
Tiers.