The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-11-08
ruELAND OFFICE.
Ths Annual Report OF Commissioner
GeasraI Mcfarland.

i General H4CEArI2n0s
WAsHIHGTcR, ID. c. Nov. 1.-The
! commissioner general of the land office.
Hon. N. Mcfarland, IN his annual re-
port, states that the disposal of public
lands during the year embraced $780,
1 769 acres, and of Indian lands S99. 235
acres; increase ever 1882, about 5. O00, 600
/ acres, and over 1881, about 5000 600
| acres. The receipts from all sources IN
connection with the disposal OF public
lands were e11 .QS8 479, aud from the
sale Of Indian lands, $685. ,404; total.
81, 6l3 6S3 Public lands were dispOsed
1 Of &c follows: Public sales, 27S OoS sores /:
private entries, ,a79 o66 acres; pre- emr-
| tion entries, 2, 2S5, 71O acres: mineral e.
/ tries. 81 $40: homestead entries, S.171s-
9f4; timber culture entriea, 3, l1O, 9S0;
entries with military county land war
rants, 45,414; entries with land claim
scrip. 1850; total number of entries
and 1lllngs posted during the year, 251s-
$50, aggEegating 3O.OO0O 600 acres- The
increase in the number Of claims record
ed in 1888 was 30, 54S over the year 1859.
The commissioner states that he Is salts
fed the pre- mption. filings are made
--Or the proceedings are 70 be made
to q great extent for speculative
purposes He renewed his TecomueE-
dalton that the presumption lag bessFe
yoked. The report recommends nm
amendment of the homestead laws re-
curing q period of not le8a than six
months after settlement claims have
been placed on record before tInal Drooi
shall be admitted, irrespective of alleged
time Of residence prior TO entry. The.
comm missioner states the cOmmuted fea-
tuFe Of the homestead law il open 10 the
81. h.. sAwn n.aewr
He urges that the homestead law be
amended 80 ss to require proof of actual
residence and improvement for period
Of NOS less than two years before home
stead entry may be committed by cash
payments. The report further recon-
mends total repeal of the timber cul-
ture law on account of its inherent de-
fects. The same objection the commits
sioner finds IN the operation of the
desert land act, and he finds entries
have been largely made for speculative
purposes with no intention OF remain
ing. The practical operation of the
law has been to enable land 70 be
purchased in large quantities, thus
ruling in encouragement OF monopoly;
and the report also says that the tim
bers and stone land entries are hagrantIy
violated. Information is in my pos
session, the commissioner says, that
much of the most valuable timber land
remaining in possession of the govern
ment on the Pacific coast is being taken
up by home and foreign capitalists
through the medium of entries made by
persons hired tor that purpose, ] have
found it necessary to suspend ali entries
| of that class and dlrect an investigation,
One of the commissioners 10 OF the
opinion that timber land should be re-
- g.
| and sold only after appraisement and
upon settled bids. He recommends
congress to make some legislation in re-
lation to private land claims IN New
Mexico, Colorado and Arizona, and
recommends that commission from
each of these territories be appointed to-
examine and settle these claims, with
proper appeal for review u0On errors of
lay,
The construction of 1,2l0 miles on
land granted railroads was reported dur
ing the year, making a total of 17,449
miles of road reported as constructed
under ali grants to June so, 1888. The
question declaring for the future these
constructed in the prescribed time IS
deemed an appropriate one Tor legis-
! lati0n.
The commissioner recommends the
passage of an act making false and
fraudulent returns of public surveys
punishable by fine and imprisonment
Much progress has been made in the
work of protecting public lands and
public timber. The practice of
fencing public lands is con-
| demned, and the recommendation
was renewed that an act be passed i'm
posing penalties for this offense. and for
preventing legal settlement and entry by
force and intimidation. The commits
sioneH asks that has salary be
fixed 1T 5000, and for q
moderate increase OF the salaries of the
| principal officers and clerks in his de-
partmsntmenf. The character and re-
aponsibaiities OF the Office, together
with the fact that its business has in
creased eighty-two per cent since 1881,
appears 70 the commissioner to justify
this request