The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-11-27
The Public Lands Commissioner's Re-
port. -,s,.
WASHINGTON, November II.

- port $50.
WASHINGTON, November II.
The annual report of the General
Land Office has been handed in to the
Secretary of the Interior. 1t shows that
during the fiscal year ended June 80,
last, 9,333,353 acres of public lands
were disposed of, and 9,484, 996 acres
were surveyed in addition to the 1884,
| 691, 236 acres previously surveyed. The
total number of acres of public domain
still unsurveyed is about 1881, 900, 900.
The disposals were mainly rs follows:
Homestead entries, 5,26O,111 acres;
timber-culture entries, 2,766,5H acres;
cash entries, 622,574 acres Gncluding
166, 1896 acres entered under Desert
Land law; grants to railroads, 27S, 1874
acres; swamp lands patented to States,
1888 acres; other grants to States,
| 1856, 1872 acres.
The amount of land surveyed the last
fiscal year exceeds by 414, 769 acres the
total area surveyed in the preceding
twelve months, and while the report
shows falling off Of some 773, 600 acres
In cash sales, the State selections, scrip
locations and lands patented for rail-
road grants, the increase in the area
taken up by settlers under the Home
stead and Timber-Culture laws has
been sufficient not only to counterbal-
ance this falling off, but to make the
aggregate disposals for the year greater
by 647, 204 acres than the total for the
previous year. The increase in home
stead entries was 841, 766 acres; and in
timber-culture entries s96, 139 acres.
Owing to the existing laws for the dis
posal of public lands for homesteads
and timber culture it is shown that dur
ing the last fiscal year, with a larger
disposal of land, there was received
from all sources $685. 13, less by
$139, 418 than the amount received dur
ing the fiscal year ending June 80,
1878. ..tt
Referring to the absentee Shawnee
lands, and the Miami lands in Kansas,
legislation is recommended to provide
for the disposing of such portions
thereof as remain vacant, for the rea-
son that frequent application is made
for permission to enter these tracts by
parties occupying them, which, in alb
be given. q e s7%s4 ."H
Owing to the general opinion that
the present appraisement of the De-
troit Arsenal grounds with the improve
ments, made under the act OF Con-
gress of March 8, 1875, is too high, re-
sulting in few sales being made, the
report recommends that a new APP
praisement be made, and after the lots
are offered at public sale that any re-
naming unsold be disposed of at pri-
vate sale at not less than the appraised
value.
The Acting Commissioner reports
that under the various acts of the For
ty-fifth Congress and with the aid of
the appropriation of $4,000 granted
last March for the protection OF timber
and the public lands, efforts have been
continued to suppress depredations, but
they are yet extensive, and the inter-
ests of the Government and those of the
people now residing or who may desire
to settle in the region of public timbered
lands, require that they should be still
pursued with unremitting earnestness
and vigor. In Arkansas alone the an
nual loss to the Government by the de-
struction of valuable timber is estimat-
ed at not less than $500, 600. A large
amount of lumber has been recovered
and considerable sums of money re-
ceived as compromises on suits brought
by the Government against timber dep
redators, and many other suits are still
pending.
In Michigan and elsewhere along the
northern National boundary line extern
Gye depredattom are reported to have
been Committed upon our public timber
lands by Canadians. These cases are
now under investigation. The powers
of the Department are so enfeebled by
the limited appropriations for detecting
and Furnishing timber trespassers that
but 1.-THE of the plumber and destruc-
ton of timber on the public domain
can now be prevented, and there is q
great necessity for more prompt and
vigorous action than the Government
has heretofore taken for the. protection
of its interests.
In conclusion the Acting Commits
sioner adverts to the necessity of en-
| p1oying large number of clerks, and
embracing among them men of expert
ence and ability, and in this connection
he calls attention to the insufficiency of
the existing provisions to meet the re-
quirements Of this branch of the public
service. He says: :" 1t is certainly time
that adequate measures were adopted
to bring this Office into a proper condi-
ton for discharging promptly and eff
| GENTLY the difficult and important
duties devolving upon it under the laws
Of Congress.
The orange crop Of Florida for the
season of 1880 promises to be from
ten to twenty per cent. larger than for
! the season of l878-79.