The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-11-06
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Points from the Report Of tho
Commissioner.

The Commissioner of the General Land
Office, says q Washington dispatch, has
submitted his report of the operations OF
the Office for the fiscal year ended June 80.
1884. The sales, entries, and selections OF
public lands embraced 20, 1874. O4l acres;
Indian lands, 697 1873 acres; total, ~ ,53l,-
40 acres-an increase over the year 1888 OF
s, 10l, 1877 acres, and over 1882 of Is, 222 0o3
acres. The receipts from the disposals of
public lands were $11 $40 1893; from Indian
lan5s, 1888, 1877; total. $12,779, 1OO-an in
crease over 1883 Of 81 ,073 1854, and an in
crease over 1882 of 1892, $50, to which is
to be added $lO,275 received for certified
copies of records, making the total receipts
for the year $12,7S9, 405.
The total number of entries and filings
was 2S6, 812, aggregating 49,625, 600 acres,
an increase over the preceding year OF
GOTTA. The number of entries approved
for patenting under the presumption and
other laws was 60,276, an increase over the
previous year of 6,429. The agricultural
patents numbered 81 1897, an increase of 800
over the preceding year. The number OF
private cash entries was 8, 1894, and 1906
095 acres were sold under the -emption
law. an increase of 800. 1886 acres over the
preceding year. The receipts from cash
sales were S10,302, 582, an average
of over 1872 per acre; 81 Is tracts OF land,
embracing 200, 002 acres. were sold at pub
lie sale at an average of So "a per acre.
The Commissioner renews his recon-
mendation that the -emptlon law be re-
pealed, and deems it important that the
homestead law be amended so as TO require
proof of actual residence and improvement
for two years, before a homestead entry
may be committed to cash payment. He
recommends the repeal of the timber cult
ure act, the act providing that lands covered
by ACCOMPLISHMENTS shall be subject to entry
Immediately upon cancellation at the local
office, the desert land law and the timber
and stone land act.
There were 1,076 miles Of railroad con-
structed during the year under the various
grants. The Commissioner suggests that a
commission be appointed to examine and
decide upon unsettled private land claims
in New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona, and
recommends the establishment of the
boundary line between Colorado and Utah.
and the survey of the boundary line be-
tween Dakota and Montana and in Yellow
stone Park.
Thirty two cases of illegal fencing of
public lands have have been reported, the
area inclosed aggregating 4, 43l $50 acres.
Twelve cases have been acted upon and
suits recommended TO compel the removal
Of the fences. A very large number of
complaints remain uninvestiglted for want
of facilities. The Commissioner says that
the portion of the public lands still remain
ing should be economical for the use of
actual settlers only. An act reserving the
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
out the necessity for the immediate adop-
ton of some measure by which the natural
forests may be preserved at the headwaters
of important rivers and their tributaries,
and in such other situations where their
preservation is expedient for climatic
effect and other good reasons of utility. He
says there is no good reason why lands
worth from S25 to 500 per acre
for timber should be sold for $1.25 and
81. so per acre as ut present, and he favors
the withdrawal from sale or entry, under
existing laws of all distinctively timber Ian Dis
of the United States, until examination and
appraisement can be made. After examina-
ton permanent timber reserves should be
established where deemed desirable, apd
provision made for the sale at not less than
the appraised value of the remainder.