New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-10-11
TWO BUREAU REPORTS.
WORK OF THE LAND OFFICE.

RADICAL CUtNGrs PROPOSED IN THE PRESENT
LAws-AN INCREASE IN LAND SALTS
WASHINGTON, Oct 1O.-Commi9sionc McFar-
land NJ the General Land Onlre has submitted to the
SECRETARY OF the Interior his report of the operations "
that Office for the nscal year ended June 80 1884, of
which The following Is abstract: Tho sales entries
and selections Of public lands embraced 2G,s3lOil acres,
and ~ Indian lands GO7t2o making total Of ~
5Jl17O acres nm increase over year isaJ OF sol,
lJ7 acres and the year 1870 OF l32220O3 acres
Tho receipts from dispo-o- Of public lands 3d.,
T1olj0 being Increase the year 1913 Of ~ 013
Jji and I'm lurfcuso the year 1872 NJ TI3p27jO.
to which IL 10 he added TlOg75 received
fpr certified copies " records making the total receipts
for the year Pl27-O. 1913 The total number ~ entries
and filings made @sG.sl2. aggrogatng 10000
acres. an increase over the preceding year OF Go,12L
The number ~ entries approved or paentng under the
prcmpion snd other lava VITA 80 90 increase over
the pc,ious year ~ GllD The agricultural patents
numbered 1l337 Increase Of 49, the preceding
year The number Of private cash entries wa Dsai and
32od0n5 acre- 4ol under the pre- cmpuon law. an
ncrcasc NJ p2o3-5 ncrca the preceding year Tho
amount of rrcrpta from cash saos Slo.jpl.1S2
average ~ a fraction over ~ ~ por Three thou
anud one hundred aud eighteen tracts Of land. embracing
2o'ool acroa were sud at public sale, avcrago
price of ~ - per ncrc
The Commaaiouor rcncws hls recommendation
that tho presumption law ho repealed and
ei,ca ha rrn'op ~ lcngh 10 mia that
In cn7ra of cnirira actually mnir n IL found Mit
the valuable banda entered IN fictitious
or hy praons employed Tor The purpose aud the lands
thus pass into speculative holdings Tho communication
feature of the humotrad law Is open 70 te same abuses
The presumption law, and IL II deemed important that
the homestead law should Dee amended ~ To require
proof of actual residence and Improvement Tor period
NJ less than years before homestead entry may
be- commutcd 10 cn,h pn,nent The practical operation
nf be iml law ne rfsU
pointed that lands generally taken mp under II
for purposes ~ speculation and not for the cultivation Of
tmber-and ii Is again recommended that the law be re
pealcd Abuses have grown up under the operations Of
the providing that lands covered by rclinqulsh
ments shall be subject entry Immediately upon can
collation. az local Office and it, repeal il suggested.
For like the repeal the Desert aud law and The
Timber aud Stone Land act recOmmendcd the prevent
i've at the command of the Office having proven
entirely inadequate to counteract the fraudulent prac
tice- Of spectators in these lands.
Lists embracing S.3i3,l54 acres were reported "a
selected by railroads under the various grants in
crease of 6423-lS 1883; and Gl7l62 acres
were certified or patented for railroads Increase over
the preceding year OF 1922 Lists Of selections
aggrcgatinc .s6l sos awaiting action at the
end OF the fiscal year. The number Of miles Of railroad
reported a. constructed during the Year under
various grants was 1876 making total of
1888 miles constructed under railroad grants.
Pend ng action upon forfeiture, Of certain
railroad grants. II has been deemed proper 10 suspend
She ot patents n al eases where this question was
Dc expectation, aud ha- for ome years beeu pressing
demand that drcruinattve action IN respect 90 these
grants should speedily be- had. and She udmlul.tiatou of
the Land department j, seriously embarrassed by the
difficulty oi adiudcating elaine
Ma,', ,,. s Ill., , t t ~ aiiIii'ri a,
existence Of fir-c unset tied claims ia perpetual
..i- i,,i'.i Aftcr d,.lis.e tc proposition made
LAST % "a