Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-10-23
WASHINGTON TOPICS

Civil Service examination Of applicants
for service in the departments at Washing
ton will be held in Chicago on October 81.
Applications for this examination must be
sent to the Civil Service Commissioner, at
Washington. A similar examination
is proposed at st. Louis October 81. APP
plicants for special examinations for the
Patent Office viii be examined at the same
time.
The Commissioner General of the Land
Office has submitted a report of the opera
tons of the Office for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1884. The sales, entries and seleC-
tons of public lands embrace %, 654 041
acres; Indian lands, 697, 129 acres; total, p, -
81, 40 acres; increase over the year 1888, of
g, 1O1, 1877 acres, and over 1882 of 13, 222 003
acres. Receipts from dispOsals of public
lands, 81, $40, 65Z; from Indian lands, $685.
137; total, $12, us, l30, an increase over 1888
Of $l,O75, 800, increase over 1882 of 81, 392,-
$50, to which is to be added $40. 725 received
for certified copies of records, making the
total receipts for the year, 8l2,789, 400, total
number of entries and filing, 286, S12, aggre-
eating 40, 625, 600 acres; increase over the
preceding year, 6O,725 acres; number Of
acres approved for patenting under pre-
emptiOn and other laws, 6O,276; increase
over the previous year, 6,429; agricultural
patents numb ered 81, 3S7: increase over pre-
Ceding year, $50; number Of private cash
entries, 1884, and 3, 2O6, O95 acres were sold
under the presumption law; increase over
preceding year, 900, 1856 acres; receipts from
cash sales, $40 302, 583: average, fraction
over $1.32 per acre; 8, us tracts fland, en-
bracing 100000 acres, sold at public
sale at an average of $500 per acre.
The Commissioners reneWs his recon-
mendatlOn that the presumption law be re-
pealed, and it is most important that the
homestead law be amended so as to require
proof of actual residence and improvement
for two years before homestead entry may
be ccmmuted to cash payment. He rec
commended the repeal Of the timber culture
act, the act providing that lands covered by
relinq uishments shall be subject to entry
Immediately upon cancellation at the local
Office, the desert land law and the timber
and stone act. There were 1,076 miles OF
railroad constructed during the year under
the various grants. The Commissioner
suggests that a Commission be appointed to
examine and decide upon unsettled pri-
Vate land claims in New Mexico, Colorado /
and Arizona. and recommends the re-estab-
hshment Of a boundary line between Colo I
RADIO and Utah and thesurVey Of the bound /
airy line between Dakota and Montana and
the Yellowstone Park. Ihirty-tWO cases OF
illegal fencing Of public lands have been re- /
ported, the area Enclosed aggregatlng 4, 431,-
98l acres. Twelve cases have been acted
upon, and suits recommended to compel
the removal Of the fences. A very large
numb of cases remain uninVestigated tor
want Of facilities. The Commissioner says
should be economical for the use OF actual
settlers only. An actreserving public lands,
except mineral an timberreserVes, for entry
under the homestead law, with an amend
menbto prevent evasiOns of WiserestrictiOns,
would be a measure meeting this end. In
conclusion, the Commissioner points out
the necessity for the immediate adoption OF
some measure by which natural forests may
be preserved at the headWaters of import
ant rivers and their tributaries, and in such
other situations where their preservation is
eXpedient for climatic effect and other rea-
sons of utility. He says there is no good
reason why lands worth $50 to 500 per
acre tor timber should be sold for 81. 25 to
s.. so per acre, as at present. and he favOrs
the withdrawal from sale or entry under
existing laws all distinctly timber lands by
the United States until an examination and
appraisement can be made. After eXamina-
ton, permanent timber reserves should be
established where deemed desirable, and
provision made Tor their sale at not less
than the appraised value Of the remainder.