The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-10-19
The General Land OfIlce Report.

Tho General Land Onice Report.
The annual report of Commissioner Mac
Farland, of the general land Office, for the fis-
cal year ended June 30, 1882, shows that dis
posals of public lands under all acts of Con-
gress embraced 1893, 740.37 acres, and of In
dian lands 310, ,3S6.13 acres, making the total
disposals IL, ,309, 1860 acres, an increase over
disposals during the preceding year of {, ,412,-
72935, acres. The amount of money re-
ceived from all sources in connec-
ton with disposals of the public lands was
S7,75S, ,261.02, and from sales of Indian lands
S634, ,5S1.22, total of 81, 1893, ,S48.24, being an
increase over the previous year of $685.
O44OS. The cash receipts of the Office were:
$S,392,o4S.4, including from sales of public
lands, S6,621, ,22S12; from sales of Indian
lands, S634, ,5S7.22 from homestead fees and
commissions $697, ,96S.59; and from timber
culture, fees and commissions, $232, ,53i. The
public sales of lands during the past year
amounted to 1898 acres, embracing 5,0l6
acres near Toledo, Ohio, which were sold for
SIC, 1922, an average of $3.3S per acre.
Three million acres of timber lands in Min
nesota have been proclaimed for sale, and
will be offered in the Duluth and st. Cloud
land districts, the sales commencing in the
former district on December 4, 1889, and in
the latter district January 10, 1888 Five
hundred and thirty-three entries were made
under the desert land act embracing 154,-
S42.3l acres, an increase over the previous
year of 46,2o229 acres. From the disposal
Arkansas S53, 1885 were realized during the
year. The commissioner recommends that
the pre-emption laws be abolished, as the
homestead laws cover all cases now arising.
TIE total area of public lands surveyed in
the several States and Territories from the
commencement of surveying operations by
the government up to June 30, 1889, is $751;
725,S S63 acres. The estimated area of the un-
surveyed portion of the public domain, inclu-
sive of the Territory of Alaska, is 9S3,062,759
acres. During the fiscal year ending June 30,
1882, there were sold 36, ,76S.63 acres of min
ersl land, an excess over the previous
year of 9,57S.93 acres; S,634.33 acres of
coal land were also sold during the fis-
cal year. The number of acres of land
certified for railroad purposes during the
year was 176, ,406.66 The list of selections
awaiting explanation or action on June 30
1852, embraced ,95S, ,392,79 acres. The num-
Der of miles of road reported as constructed
under the land-grant system during the year
was 6OS.96, making total of 16,239.10 miles
of land-grant railroad constructed in all the
States and Territories up to the close of the
fiscal year. Respecting the forfeiture of
railroad grants the commissioner says:
1.-The status of various grants for railroad
purposes where the roads have not been con-
structed within the time prescribed by law was
reported to Congress on March 2S, last. The
absence of legislative action touching the
renewal of these grants, or declaring the fer
felture thereof, seriously embarrassed the
work of this office. 1t is not deemed expo
dent to certify additional lands to the rail
road companies, nor to award to the COM
panies lands in dispute between them and
settlers or other claimants pending the de-
termination of Congress in the premises.
Large numbers of settlers are occupying such
lands, and it is important to them to
know whether they can receive
their titles from the United States, or
whether they will be required 10 purchase
from the railroad companies. The prevail
ing uncertainty necessarily retards improve
ments and lmpairs values New applications
are also constantly being made to enter the
Withdrawn lands under the public land laws.
l deem it of pressing Importance TO the pub
lie interests that Congress should take early
action in respect to these grants"
The commissioner is of opinion that gen
eral law should be enacted clearly defining
the rights of citizens to take timber from the
public lands for prescribed purposes, and
providing penalties for its unlawful cutting,
removal, destruction or waste
On the subject of fraudulent land entries
the commissioner says:
Investigations that have been made dur
ing the past year have developed the exist
ence of much fraud under the shield of the
pre-emption, homestead and timber culture
laws. These Investigations have been based
upon complaints made to this Office that
great quantities of valuable coal and
iron lands, forests of timber, and the avail
able agricultural lands in whole regions of
grazing country have been monopoliZed by
persons who have caused fraudulent pre-
emption and commuted homestead entries
made by their agents and employees.
Efforts have been made to check un-
lawful acts of this character in the coal
and iron regions of Alabama, the timber re-
gions of Minnesota, the grazing country III
California, and on agricultural ilands in the
Territory of Dakota by the special investiga-
ton of cases of alleged frauds, trials before
local land officers to cancel alleged entries,
and the institution of civil and criminal suits.
Proceedings have been instituted in Mis-
souri, to recover the title to several hundred
thousand acres of land in that State fraud
ulently entered many years ago under the
graduation act, which act has been re-
pealed "
The commissioner says that, in his opin-
ion, statute is required imposing penalties
for the unlawful inclosure of the public
lands and the prevention by force or intimi-
dation of legal settlement and entry.
The commissioner submits estimates for
salaries and contingent expenses for the
next fiscal year, amounting in the aggregate
to $453, $40, which is an increase of the
amount appropriated for the current fiscal
year of $685. $40. He also asks fo RICO nddi-
tional clerks and for sufficient room for their
accommodation. "This increase in force, he
says, sis necessary to meet the additional
work which the growing increase in the
volume of public business is daily bringing
upon this bureau"