The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-12-08

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acres railroad sections under various acts of
Congress. The total cash receipts in connec-
amounted @ to sill 7iSsS5 70 of wEicS bii smoi1t o
SB25.4 .40i.2I was on account of the sale of Indian
lands. The increase in receipts for the year
1888 over that OF the year l6S2 S33lB 1851. .G6,
and over that of 1881, SG,}O5, ,O70;4; pre-emption
and private entries, 4,465, $3.50 acres; timber
culture entries, 3, ,0jO.13 acres; the number
of homestead entries, 5H,565, embracing g. III
9l43S acres. Not included in the lands dis
posed of, and in addition thereto, were 1885
pre- emptiOn filings, 4,099 soldiers declaratory
statements, and lO,.sE9 miscellaneous filings,
these three items embracing in tho aggregate
The increase in the number OF claims re-
corded in 1883 was 55,54S over that of the year
1882, and 93, 700 over that of the year 1881; the
number of entries approved for patenting
under various laws, 53S4T; an increase of
2G,siD over that of the year 1882. Four thou
sand two hundred and seventy contested cases
were examined and acted upon during the
fiscal year. The number of pre-emption cases
undecided June 70, 1888 was l2,ji2, an increase
of the number in arrears of 2,31O and l,9l2
new cases were received for action. con-
public sale, but no land valuable for agricult-
ural purposes has been offered ut public sale.
The vast amount of work done by the Land
Office during the fiscal year can be seen from
the foregoing summary.
The Commissioner again rencws his recon-
incubation that the pre-emption law be re-
pealed. He says:
In my last annual report 1 renewed the rec
ommendation frequently made by my prcde-
cessOrs that the pre-emptiOn law be repealed.
Continued experience demonstrates the ud-
visibility and necessity of such repeal.
The objection that much good has hereto
fore resulted from the pre-emptiOn system,
and that II should not be discontinued be-
foundation under the changed condition Gre
ated by the homestead law.
Before the homestead system was adopted
the only method by which unoifered public
lands could be obtained by settlers was by
presumption. All tho advantages of the pre-
homestead laws. The same lands sea can BE- be en- en-,
tered upon the same conditions and proofs
and the payment OF the same price under the
homestead law as under the prc-emptiOn law.
We have simply a double system for the
same purpose, employing two sets of machin-
cry, two agencies of adjustment, and dupH-
cation of records, when only one is required.
The administration of the law would be sim
plficd and the labor and expense lessened by
a discontinuance of the now unnecessary sys-
tenn of pre-empttOn.
He also recommends the timber-culture law
In my last annual report I called attention
to the abuses flowing from the operations of
Inls dcL. Contlnueu experience mas uelnOh-
strated that these abuses are Inherent in the
law and beyond the reach of administrative
methods for their correction.
settlement on the land is not required; even
residence within the State Territory in
which the land is situated is not a condition to
an entry. A mere act of entry holds the land
for year without the performance of any
act of cultivation. The meager act of break
ing hve acres, WHICH can be done at the close
of the year as well as at the beginning, holds
the land for the second year. Comparatively
trivial acts hold it for a third year. During
arc sold to homestead or other settlers at such
price as the land may command.
My information leads me to the conclusion
that majority of entries under the timber
culture act are made for speculative pur-
poses, and not for the cultivation of
timber. Compliance with law in these
cases is a mere pretense and does
not result in the production of timber.
On the contrary as one entry in section ex-
hausts the tmbGr-culture right i'm that sec
ton, it follows that every fraudulent entry
prevents Il bona tde one on any portion of the
made. My information is that no trees are to
be seen over vast regions of country whore
timber-culture entries have been most num-
erous.
He recommends its repeal, and 1 fully con-
cur with him in such recommendation.
The Commissioner recommends that the
homestead law be so amended as to require a
period of not less than six months after a set
tlement claim has been placed on record be-
fore final proof shall be admitted, irrespective
of alleged time of residence prior to the time
of entry. In this l also concur.
FENCING PUBLIC LAND.
The complaints against the illegal fencing of
public lands for grazing purposes Is discussed.
BY these illegal acts large and valuable tracts
are practically Withdrawn from the operation
of the settlement laws. Official notice was
posted throughout the Territories in April
last, warning stock grazers and others from
violating these provisions, and number of
cases against offenders have been success
fully prosecuted. On the disposition of pub
lie lands the Secretary says:
Public lands suitable for agriculture should
be disposed of only to the actual settler under
inc nOmeSLeHu laws. a strict compliance
with the law should be required in all cases.
No greater calamity can bcfall a country
than to have the land owned by few, and
thus compel the masses of the people to be-
come the tenant of such land owners 1t has
been the policy of the Government heretofore
to distribute the public land among the
people in such quantities as would en-
able all desiring to engage in agri-
culture to do so as land owners,
rich the tendency is to aggregate the lands in
the hands of less number of people; this is
not called to deal after it has parted with the
title to its land, but as the owner OF the public
land, held for the people of the United States,
see that the laws intended to secure Il fair dis
tributon of these lands are strictly enforced
Pensions.
The report of the Commissioner of Pensions
shows that at the close of the last fiscal year
there were 3O3,65o pensioners, CLASSIFIED as fol-
lows:
Army invalids. l0s GAS
Army widows, minor children, and de-
pendent relatives. ves...................... T4,3T4
Navy inValidS. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 2,4GS
Navy widows, minor children, and de-
Survivors of the war of 1872. ............. 4,S}i
widows of those who served in the war
Oh loEs ...--....... --.......- .......... Sl,33b
There were added to the pensionron during
the year the names of s,l62 new pensioners,
and 1876 whose names had been previously
dropped from the pension roll were restored
making the total number added to the roll
during the year 3SN5S, being an excess over
Jne nunDef ADDED the previous year OF lO,6i5
During the year 2O9gI pensioners were dropped
from the rolls for various causes, leaving a
net increase over the rolls of 1881. The num-
ber of persons dropped from the rolls in
cluded the names of those who have been car
ried on the rolls after death until final settle.
ment and payment of the amount due such
pensioners. The average annual value of each
pension at the close of the year is Sl06. Is, and
the aggregate value of all pensions is SS2,-
245, ,19243, an increase over the value for the
previous year of S2,00I 090.Sl. The total
amount paid out for pensions during the year
was S60,O64, ,0O9.23. The excess on the annual
value of pensions is mainly for arrears of
pensions covering the period prior to the
ali owance of the claim. The total number
of claims filed for disabilities incurred while
in the service amounts to 496,72l, of which
245,2lO have been allowed; and by widows on
account of deaths chargeable to the service
3l2,029, of which 2O6T7 have been allowed.
The total number of claims filed since 1851 is
1856 1877, of which number 5l0,9}5 have been al
lowed. During the same period there has
been paid for pensions, with cost of disburse-
ment, the sum of S62l ,073, ,297.6O. The Commits
sioner says:
OF the whole number of army invalid claims
filpd from 1871 n hOth innlIlSvn