Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-02

pecially when the Treasury ID CROWNS
under the surplus revenue caused IL
part By the conduct of the very mer
Who appeal to them, for be believes the
army has protected. defended and en-
Outraged the building of trans CONT
mental railways and settlements in the
West, which are the chief cause of the
great prosperity which now blesses our
land.
Report - the misslsner Ceaeral
Of the lAna o0ee.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-The Commits
noner General of the Land Office. Hon,
n. .. Mcfarland, in his annual report
states that the disposed of public land
during the year embraced 1908, 7ag
acres, and Indian lands 399, Z35 acres,
an ncrerse over 1882 of about 5000, coo
acres and over 1881 of about 5000. 600
acres. Receipts from all sources in
connection with disposed of public
lands were $l1, 0SS, 479, and from sales
of Indian lands S625. 404. MAKING total
Of $11.2l3,Ss3. Public iands were dis-
posed of as follows: Public sales. pa
JOY acres; private entries, 2,179955
acres; pre-emption entries. 2.2s5'7IO
acres mineral entries, 81, SO acres |:
homestead entries, 8,l7l,9l4 acres : tim
ser culture entries, 3.1lO, $50 acres en-
tries with military bounty land war.
rants, 6,414 acres entries with land
claim scrip. 10,5O6 acres total number
OF entries and filings posted during the
year, 25l,6S5, aggreeatine $1,000 600
acres. The increase in the number of
claims recorded in 1888 was 55.54S over
the year 1882. The Commissioners
states that he is satisfied that
presumption filings are made or
procured to be made to
great extent for speculative purposes.
DE renews the recommendation that
the presumption law be repealed. The
report recommends the amendment of
the homestead laws requiring q per1ed
OF not less than six months after settle
ment Of the claim has been placed on
record before final proof shall be ad-
mitted irrespective of the alleged time
OF residence prior to entry. The Com
missioner states that the Communication
feature Of the homestead Law is open to
the same abuses a. the presumption
law. De urges that the homestead Law
be amended 30 a. to require proof of
actual residence and improvement for
not less than two years before the
homestead entry may be commuted by
cash payment. The report further re-
commends the total repeal of the timber
Law, on account of its inherent defects
The Same objection the Commissioner
hnds In the operation of the desert land
law, and he finds that the entries have
been largely made for speculative pur-
poses, with no intention of reclaim
ing the land. The practical operation
of the Lac has been to enable
land to be purchased in large quanti-
ties. thus resulting more to encourage
monopoly than in the announcement
Of reclamation. The report also saws
the tlmber-and- stone. land act is fire.
quently violated. Information is in
my possession" the Commissioner saws,
that the most valuable timber land
remaining in the possession of the Gov
eminent on the Pacific Coast is being
taken up by homo and foreign capital
lists, through the medium Of entries by
persons employed for that purpose. /
have found 1t necessary to suspend all
entries Of this class" The Commits
sioner is Of the opinion that timber
lands should be reserved by law from
ordinary disposal and sold only after
appraisen,ent and upon settled bids.
He recommends that Congress make
como legislation in relstion to pri-
vate land claims in New Mexi-
90, California and Arizona, and
recommends that commission
fer each of these Territories be appoint
ed to examine and settle these claims
with q proper appeal for review upon
error. The construction Of 100 miles of
railroad was reported during
the year, making total Of II, 449 miles
of road reported as constructed under
all grants to June 9Th, 1880. The
question of declaring the forfeiture of
these grants where the railroads have
not been constructed in the period of
time allowed 10 DENIED an appropriate
one for legislation. The Commissioner
the passage Of an act max
ing false and fraudulent returns of the
public surveys punishable by fine and
Much progress hiss been
made in the work of protecting the
public lands and the public timber.
The practice of fencing public lands is
and the recommendation
renewed that an act be passed imposing
penalties for this offence and for pre-
venting legal settlement and entry by
force or intimidation. The Commits
sioner asks that his salary be fixed at
five thousand and for moderate in
crease of salaries of the principal Of
ficials and clerks Of his department.
Inc character and responsibility Of the
office together with the fact that its
business has increased 50 per cent. since
1881, appears to the Commissioner to
justify this request.