Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-11
ROBBED OF OUR HERITAGE |
COMMISSIONER MCFARLAND
SOUNDS A WARNING.


SOUNDS A WARNING.
The Public Domain Greatly Curtailed
by the Wasteful Extravaganza of the
Republicans, and Economy Now an
Imperative Necessity-Amendmen of
the Laws, and Reappraisement Re
commended.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10.-Commissioner
Mcfarland, of the General Land Office.
has submitted to the Secretary of the In
terror his report of the operations of that
office for the fiscal year ended June 80,
1884:
The sales, entries and selections OF public
lands embraced &c, ,SS4.Oi1 acres, and of Indian
lands 697, l29 acres, making total of q 52i, ,170
acres, an increase over the year 1883 of Sl0, ,I37
acres, and over the year 1882 of 1929, COS
acres. The receipts from the disposals of pub
lie lands We're lI.S40 1913; from the sales of In
dian lands, 1888, ,l37, total of $I2779 130, being
an increase over the year 1888 of $l.07S,364.
81, 1892 75a, to which is to be added
$l0,275 received for certified copies of records.
making the total receipts for the year $l2.7S9,-
4O5. 1 he total number of entries ana filings
made was S2S6,Sl2, aggregating 40625. .0OO
acres. an increase over the preceding year of
607, ,242 The number of entries approved for
patentlng under the re-emption and other
laws was &C. .276, an increase over the previous
year of 6,429. The agricultural patents mum
ber 81 1887, an increase of SIS over the preced-
ing year. The number of private cash en-
tries was 1884, and 3,206, 495 acres were sold
under the presumption laws, an increase of
920,3S5 acres over the preceding year. The
amount of receipts from cash sales was $10,-
2t2, ,5S2, an average of Il fraction over 81 32-l00
per acre; 3, lis tracts of land, embracing O,002
acres, were sold at public sale at an average
t3OmmI
news his recommendation that the preemp-
tion laws be repealed. and gives his reasons
at length. He says that in cases of entries
actually made IL is found that the most Valu-
able lands are entered in fictitious names or
by persons employed for the purpose, and the
lands thus pass into speculative holdings.
THE COMPUTATION FEATURE.
The Communication feature of the homestead
law Is open t. the same abuses as the pre-
emptiOn law and it is deemed lmDOrtant that
to require proof of actual residence and i'm
prOvement for period of not less than two
years before the homestead entry may be
cOmmuted to cash payment. The practical
operation of the timber culture law confirms
the result already pointed out, viz. that
lands are generally taken up under it for the
purposes of speculation, and not for the cul-
tlVatlon of timber, and it is again recon-
mended that the law be rel called. Abuses
have grown up under the operations of the
statute providing that lands covered by re-
dlately upon cancellation at the local Office
and its repeal is suggested for like reasons.
The repeal of the desert land law and the
timber and stene land act is recommended,
the preventive measures at the command of
the Office having proven entirely Inadequate
to counteract the fraudulent practices of
speculatOrs in these lands. State sections un-
der school, swamp indemnity, and internal
improvement grants were made during the
year aggregatiOg l56,6l2 acres, decrease of
81 7,95S from the record for the preceding year.
Total sections of 96 l06 acres were approved.
The amount reported to the First Comptroller
as accruing to the several States entitled by
their acts of admission into the Union to
per cent. of the net proceeds of the
sales of public lands was $40 ,435.
Lists embracing S,343,l54 acres were
reported as selected by railroads under the
various grants, an increase of 6,423,SlO acres
over 1888. 647, ,l62 acres were certified or pat
ented for railroads, an increase over the pre-
cedlng year OF l69,422 acres. Lists of selections
aggregating 1l,S6i,6GS acres were awaiting
action at the end of the fiscal year.
RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION.
The number of miles of railroad reported as
constructed during the year under various
grants was l,076, making a total of 1852 miles
constructed under railroad grants. Pending
Congressional action upon the forfeitures Of
certain railroad grants, it has been deemed
proper to suspend the issue of patents in all
cases where this question was involved In
pending legislation. 1t is a reasonable public
expectation anu mas IOf some years been
pressing demand that determinative action
in respect to these grants should speedily be
had, and the administration of the L2nQ De-
parlment is seriously embarrassed by the dir
ficulty of adjudicating claims touching unset
tied private land claims in New Mexico. Colo
RADIO and Arizona. The Commissioner dWeIs
at length upon the evils of the present
system of adjudication, and saws that the ex-
ual menace to industrial occupation of the
soil and settlement. After discussing the
proposition made last year to allow these
claims TO be determined in the courts he
comes to the conclusion that commission
should be appointed for each OF the Terrific
ries named to make a thorough examination
before the Land Office or Congress.
as well as those depending be-
fore the Surveyor General, should be
remanded to such commission for eXamma-
view upon error of law. 1t is also suggested
that a period of two years from date should
be allowed for the presentation of claims not
heretofore filed with the Surveyors General.
THE TOTAL SURVEY.
A total of 81, ,796,920 acres of land was sur
veyed by the United States during the year
The commission recommends the re-establish-
ment of the boundary line between Colorado
and Utah, and survey of the boundary line
between Dakota and Montana and of the Yel-
lOwstOne Park. An average of tWenty-slX
special agents have been employed for the
prevention of timber trespasses. and twenty
five for the protection of public lands from
fraudulent or illegal entry or appropriation
Six hundred and twenty seven cases of
timber trespass have been investigated
involving timber products valued at 81, ,2s9. .S54.
Th'rty-tw cases of illegal fencing of public
lands have been reported, the area inclOsed
aggregating 4,43l $3.50 acres. Twelve cases
have been acted upon by the Office and suits
recommended to compel the removal of the
fences. very large number of complaints
remain uninvestigated for want of facilities
rnA III lfn 1n..
States have largely been disposed of or ap-
propriated under various laws. The total
area surveyed from the commencement is
93S, $40, l25 acres. The estimated area un-
surveyed, exclusive of Alaska. is 506, ,494, ,454
acres. The time is now at hand when there
will be public lands to invite settlements
or afford citizens of the country an OppOr.
tunity to secure cheap homes. Meanwhile vast
observable, title to which has been acquired
by evasions of the law. The numerous
methods of disposal now existing and the
laXity of precautionary provisions against
misappropriatiOn are resulting in the waste
of the public domain without compensations
attendant upon small ownerships for actual
settlement.
ECONOMY NECESSARY.
The time has finally arrived when waste
fulness should cease, and that portiOn still
remaining should be economical for the nse
of actual settlers only. An act reserVing
public land, except mineral and timber re-
serves, for entry under the homestead law
with amendments to prevent evasion of its
wise restrictions, would be a measure meet
ing this end. In conclusion the COM
missioner points out the necessity
for the Immediate adoption of some
measure by which natural forests NAV be pre-
served at the headwaters of imrortant rivers
and their tributaries, and in such other situa-
tions wh9re their preservation is expedient
for climate effect and other reasons of utility.
He says that there is no good reason w6y
lands worth from S25 to 500 per acre for tim
Der should be sold for 81 % and 50 per acre as
at present, and he favors the withdrawal from
sale or entry under existing laws of all dis
unctlYely timber lands of the United States
until an examination and appraisement of
them can be made. After the examination
permanent timber reserves should be estab
lished where deemed desirable and provision
made for the sale at not less than the an
praised value OF the remainder.
The decisions of the Secretary of the In
terror and the Commissioner of the Cen
eral Land Office, from July, 1888. to july.
1884, in important land cases. are in press
at the Government printing office. Being
an official publication they are of great
value to attorneys and others interested,
and others relating to public lands, titles,
contests, mines, etc. Extra copies may
be procured by any one at cost price and
10 per cent. thereon, if ordered and paid
for before being put to press, as provided
by section 1909 of the Revised Statutes.
CONSERVATIVES AND LIBERALS
A Chance for a Compromise in the Fight
Over the Franchise.
LONDON, Oct. 10.-The prospect of a