Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-12-06

Congress. The total cash receipts In connec-
ton with the disposal Of the public lands
amounted TO sll ,7ls. $50, Of which amount
ttE,5. .tolx1 was on account OF the sale OF Indian
lands. The increase in receipts for the year
lse3 over that OF the year lSe was 8. 3.3la 367 g.
and over that OF 1ssl. $500, ,07s "a; pre-emption
and private entries, t,te6. $3.50 acres; timber
culture entries. Al - acres; the number
Of homestead entries. 56,65. embracing SILL
el4-Ss acres. Not included In the lands dis
posed OF, and in addition thereto, were Al ,e3i
pre- emptiou filings, 4,pQo soldiers declaratory
Statements, and l02S2 miscellaneous hllngs.
these three items embracing In the aggregate
100000 acres.
The increase in the number OF claims re-
corded in 1888 was 55 ,5iS over that OF the year
1859, and p3, 100 over that OF the year 1881: the
number OF entries approved for patenting
under various laws, RS47; an increase OF
$.2p over that OF the year lSS. Four thou
sand two hundred and seventy contested cases
were examined and acted upon during the
fiscal year. The number OF presumption cases
undecided June 20, 1888 was Il. .542, an increase
OF the number in arrears OF 2.SI0. and II ,9l2
new cases were received for action. A con-
siderable amount of timber land was sold at
public sale, but no land valuable for agricult-
mral purposes has been offered at 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 renews his recon-
mendation that the pre-emption law be re-
pealed. He says:
In my last annual report renewed the rec
ommendation frequently made by my prede-
cessors that the pre-emption law be repealed.
Continued experience demonstrates the ad-
visibility and necessity of such repeal.
The objection that much good has hereto
fore resulted from the pre-emption system,
and that it should not be discontinued be-
cause abused, appears to be without good
foundation under the changed condition Gre
ated by the homestead law.
Before the homestead system was adopted
the only method by which unofered public
lands could be obtained by settlers was by
pre-emptfon. All the advantages of the pre-
emption system are now embraced in the
homestead laws. The same lands can be en-
tered upon the same conditions and proofs
and the payment of the same price under the
homestead law as under the pre-emption law.
We have simply double system for the
same purpose, employing two sets of machin-
cry, two agencies of adjustment, and dupli-
cation of records, when only one is required
The administration of the law would be SIM
plified and the labor and expense lessened by
a discontinuance of the now unnecessary sys-
TEN of pre-emption.
He also recommends the timber-culture law
and says:
In my last annual report called attention
to the abuses flowing from the operations of
this act. Continued experience has demon
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 or Territory in
u
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 five 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 third year. During
these periods accomplishments of the entries
are 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 arc made for speculative pur-
timber. Compliance with law in these
cases is mere pretense and does
not result in the production of timber.
On the contrary, as one entry in section ex-
hausts the timber-cuture right in that Sec
tion, it follows that every fraudulent entry
prevents bona tide one on any portion of the
section within which the fraudulent entry is
made. My information is that no trees are to
be seen over vast regions Of country where
timber-culture entries have been most num-
erous.
He recommends its repeal, and 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 set
Element 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 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
fbn h<.,,n lcx,,p A s1A Ia.
with the law should be required in all cases.
No greater calamity can befall country
than to have the land owned by few, and
thus compel the masses of the people to be-
been the policy of the Government heretofore
to distribute the public land among the
people in such quantities as would en-
e6frrs aoe all to desiring dd to engage in agr
and not as renters. As the COUNTRY grows
rich the tendency is to aggregatee b lap&s in
the hands of q less number of people; ttA is
an evil witt. which the General Governm snt is
not called to deal after it has parted with the
title to its land; but as the owner Of the pnblia
land. held for tine peopfe OF the United States,
see that the laws intended to secure fai2fliss
tribution of these lands are strictl1enfds bed
Pensions.
The report of the Commissioner of Pensions
shows that at the close of the last fiscal year
there were 1868 pensioners, classified as fol-
lows
Army widows, mino,r; children and de- -''''4'
pendent relatives. ves...................... 1854
Navy widows, minor children, and de- '''''
Survivors % of the war Of isls 4ss I
Widows Of those who served in the war
OF lSE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. II 1856
There were added to the pensionroll during
the year the names of 3S,182 new pensioners,
and 796 whose names had been previously
dropped from the pension roll were restored,
during the year $685. being an excess over
the number added the previous year of 10,645
During the year x, ,997 pensioners were dropped
from the rolls for various causes, leaving
her. 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 $l0t.1S, and
the aggregate value of all pensions is $a2,-
245, 102.43, an increase over the value for the
previous year of $2,9O4 090.Sl. The total
amount paid out for pensions during the year
was $50, ,O64, ,0O923. The excess ON the annual
value of pensions is mainly for arrears of
pensions covering the period prior to the
all owante of the claim. The total number
OF claims filed for disabilities incurred while
In the service amounts to 496,721, of which
210 have been allowed; and by widows on
account Of deaths chargeable to the service
Sl2O29, of which 206,7l7 have been allowed.
The total number Of claims filed since 1851 is
SS6, ,l37, of which number 510,93S have been al
lowed. During the same period there has
been paid for pensions, with cost of disburse-
ment, the sum of $62l, ,073, ,2297.6O The Commits
sioner says:
OF the whole number of army invalid claims
filed from 1861 to 1866, both inclusive, repre-
senting the first period, five years while the
war OF the rebellion was yet in pr0gress), 1877