St. Paul daily globe., 1884-10-11
THE PUBLIC LAND.
The Amount Of the Public Do
main Disposed of During
the Last Fiscal Year.
Several Important Suggestions Made
by the Commissioner in Regard
to the Land Laws.
The Enormous Magnitude of Our Internal
Commerce-0ur Products Seven Times
Greater Than Our Foreign
Commerce.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1O.-Tbe commissioner
general of the land Office has submitted re-
port OF the operations Of his office for the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1884. Sales, en-
tries and selections of public lands. 26, 1884,
04l acres; Indian lands, 697, 129 acres; ;
total, 27, 531, 10 acres. An increase over
the year 1888 of S,1O1, 137 acres, and over
1882 Of 1922, DOB acres. Receipts from
disposals of public lands. 81, $40, 993; {;
from Indian lands, 1898, 1877; total, ,S12, 49,
13O. An increase over 1888 of 81, ,073, 364,
and over 1882 Of 81, 1872, 750, to which is to
be aided $40, ,275 received for certified copies
Of records, making the total receipts of the
year S12, 7S9, ,405; total number of entries
and filings, 2S6, S12; aggregatlng 40, 625, 900
acres, an increase over the preceding year of
90, 724. The number Of entries approved
for patening under the preemption and other
laws were GO,276, an increase over the pre-
vious year Of &, G,429. The agricultural pat
ents mum bered 81 ,337; an increase of $50
over the preceding year. Number private
cash entries, 1884; and 3,206,O95 acres
were sold under the preemption law; an in
crease Of 92O, ,3S5 acres over the preceding
year. Receipts from cash sales, $103, 025, 80;
average fraction over 81. 80 per acre There
were Bis tracts Of land, embracing 200, ,002
acres: sold at public sale at an average Of
81. 81 per acre. The commissioner renews his
recommendation that the pre-emption law be
repealed, and deems it important that the
homestead law be amended so as require
proof of actual residence and improvement
Tor two years, before a homestead entry may
be commutcd to cash payment He recon-
mends a repeal Of the tim Der culture act, the
act providing that lands covered by relin-
quishnent shall be subject to entry imme-
diatcly upon cancellation at the local office,
the desert land Law and timber and stone
land act.
There were 1,076 miles of railroad con struct-
ed during the year under the various grants.
The commissioner suggests that a commits
zion be appointed to examine and decide
upon unsettled private lands in New Mexico,
Colorado and Arizona, and recommends q
re-establshmento Of a boundary line between
Colorado and Utah, and survey a boundary
line between Dakota and Montana and Yel-
IowsLone Park.
lie ande have been reported, the area en-
closed aggregating 4, ,43l $50 acres Twelve
cases have been acted upon and suits recon-
Inended to compel removal OF the fences.
n very large number Of complaints remain
uninyestigated for want OF facilities
Inc commissioner says that a portion of
the public lanGs still remaining should be
cconomZcd for the use of actual settlers
only. An act rcserviug public lands, except
mineral and timber reserves, for entry under
the homestead law, with amendments to
prevent evasion Of its wise restrictions.
would be a measure meeting this end.
IN conclusion, the commissioner points
ont the necessity for the immediate adoD-
lion Of some measure by which natural
forests may be preserved ut the headwaters
cl important rivers and thcir tributaries, and
in such other situations where their preser-
vation is eXpedient for climatic effect and
other reasons of utility. He saws there is no
good reason why lands worth from S25 TO
$lG0 per acre for timber should be sold for
Sl.25 and 500 per acre, as at present. and
he iavOrs the withdrawal from sale or entry
under existing laws all distinctiyclv timber
lands OF the United States until an exami-
nation and appraisement can be made.
After the examination, permanent tim Der re-
serves should be established where
deemed desirable, and provision
made for sale at not less than
OUR INTERNAL COMMERCE.
A matter of chief importance treated of in
the annual report of Mr.. Nimmo, of the bu-
reau of statistics, is the enormous Magnitude
of our internal commerce. 1t is shown the
value of the products OF the various indus
tries OF the United States is seven times the
total value of our foreign commerce, nearly
three times the total value of the foreign
commerce of Great Britain and Ireland, and
i've times the total value of the foreign com
merce of France. Including in each case
both imports and exports. The total yalue
OF the products of industry in the United
States Is also shown to be little more than
twice the total value of exports OF merchan-
disc from all the countries OF Europe. The |
United States is now the largest nanufac-
turing country on the globe. The value of
products of American manufactures con- |
sumed at home is five times the value of the |
manufactured products of Great Britain and
Ireland exported 10 all other countries, and |
more than fourteen times the value of the |
exports OF manufactured products from |
France To all other countries
The relative value of internal as connared |
with foreign commerce OF the country Is |
AUS ''''N' -! S'd'tIhculs SHOWING That |
ninety ty-niue per cent. of the coal mined in |
TINS country, uinety-iivc per cent of our |
IRON aud steel products, ninety-iive per cent. |
oi the products of our leather Industry, more |
than niuety-niuc per cent. of our manufac- /
tures OF wool, uiuet-five per cent of the |
products OF our cotton manufactures, more /
than ninety nine per cent Of our manufac- \
lures of silk and uinety-nine per cent of our |
manufactures Of glass glassware, earthen- /
ware and stoaewarc are consumed in the I
United states, The report shows that the |
total value OF exports of merchandise from. |
aud import of merchandise into California, /
Oregon and Washington territory for the |
wear ended June so, 1854, was $50. sos. .S14.
The value of the exports was $40, ,3S1, ,2S4. |
and imports S31,11q. $50.