Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-10-30
LAND OFFICE LABORS.
sugsesi:cns frsm the coninissiorer's Annual
 Report.

The annual report of the Commission CT of the General Land Office contains numerous recommendations for increas- ing the efficiency of the office. Among the most important of these are the fol lowing: There has been great demand for copies of the official records of local land offices, which there is no legal method of supplying without great in- | convenience It is suggested that local offices be allowed to furnislr such copies for a reasonable fee, the proceeds to be used to pay for the necessary clerical ! help.
 In obtaining patent for mineral lands, the Commissioner Is of the opinion that the agent Of the patentee, who is often more cOnversant with the material facts sought to be established than the pat entee, should be allowed to make oath to such facts, instead of his principal. Under the present law settlers of community desiring survey of the same, can secure the same by depositing sum sufficient to cover the cost of survey, for which certificates of deposit are given, | receivable in part payment of the lands. | Under this law large amounts of land are l believed to have been fraudulently se- cured. and in many cases deputy survey ors were implicated In the frauds, some times going so far as to advance the necessary funds to secure survey for
 the purpose of obtaining the contract. 1 Every effort has been made by the Con-
 missioner to suppress these abuses, but with only partial success, and he recOm- mends the repeal of the law on the sub l iact
 TROUBLES IN THE WEST. Land troubles have arisen in Oregon and Washington Territory which tue l Land Office was unable to rectify, owing | to the lack of a necessary law, and the 1 passage of an act of Congress Is asked | for, defining the length of time after sur veylng ID which final proof must be fur nished, under penalty of forfeiture. Attention is called to the great cOnfu- sion existing in the land records in Col orado, New Mexico and Arizona. Under the law, the siurveyor-Generali Is required to investigate all claims under Spanish and Mexican grants that may be brought before him, and report the same to Con- gress for action. This he is totally una ble to do and pursue his proper labors, and additional legislation is asked to remedy this state of affairs. The present law works great hardship to settlers and discOurages emigration to this section. NEW SURVEY NECESSARY.
 The sale of public lands located in the Sioux Indian reservation west of King stone lake was ordered last spring, but the existing survey proved so defective that new one IS necessary before a sale can be made. The Commissioner con- ments upon the unsatisfactory method of examinations of surveys Ill the field now used, and recommends that the ex- amineT be appointed directly by the Commissioner instead Of by the Surveyor General, as at present.
 Speaking of the great delay of business caused by the insufficient clerical force, the Commissioner notes that in single division of the public lands there are now over 60,000 entrles of legal notices of settlement claims unposted on the tract books, and uneXamined, and about 1000 contents examined. Other divisions are as much more in arrears.
 In conclusion the Commissioner refers to the abuses which have sprung up in connection with timber-cutting on min eral lands, and recommends more strin- gent law to guard these lands. The office room and filing place of the Land Office, the Commissioner says, are insufficient, and increased accommodations are con- sidered necessary.