The Red Cloud chief., 1884-05-09
FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE.
How the Public Lands are A~pproPr~'
by Foreign Syndicates-fuohc
Standardization Matters.

How the Public Lands are Approprs"
Inv Foreign Syndicates-Public De0~
Statement-Other Matters
WASHINGTON, May 3-Seme corresponr
! dence recently passed between the Depal'-
ment of tine Interior and Senator fluiiD'
chairman of the Committee on Public L~hu'r
with reference to information called LOT "
a resolution of March Il, last. directing tho
! Committee on Public Lands to inquire III
what manner large quantities oil puDic iaioS
had been transferred or possessed by LOT
| eign corporations or syndicates. What, III
| snv. legislation was advisable to prevent
such transfer or possession On April 4 'Ho
Secretary of the Interior sent Plumb a COM
municatiOn from the Commissioner OF tAe
General Land Office, in which he states there
were several methods by which foreign cor
porations and syndicates may legally ac-
ouire a title to public lands. The Secretary
also transmitted the same date copies Oh
reports from special agents sil0WfSe
the methods adopted for miawtui
acquisition of title to public Ialius-
i'm the interest of foreign cap
italistS. Special Agent John NJ. James
reports. in relation To thirty-eiSht clalmS IN
| Estes Park. Col. owned by the Estes lark
Company. organized under the laws OF Eng
land and doing business in Colorado Vine
ham Thomas, Earl of Dunrayen, appears IN
be one of the chief functionarieS OF his
company. Thirty claims, the special agent
found, were secured for people who were
never in that part at all, the remaining
eight were secured by people who made Ot
caSiOnal visits and show of H~nproyenlenGt
In no case was the law complied VIII
Special Agent Wilson T.. Smith reports the
result of All investigation i'll California INTO
the transactions of Falkner, Ball " Co, an
English house. lie secured complete evil
dence in sixteen cases, proving the entry
men took up timber land under an agree
ment to transfer them tn the agent OF a
syndicate, each entrynaa receiving fifty
dollars for his service. Further myeStRe
ton was stopped by the agents Of the synh-
cate, who surrounded the hotel with their
henchmen, and no one who made entry
with them was allowed To approach the
special agents room. Under date
OF April 20, the Secretary sent
the Chairman of the Public Lands
Committee a supplemental batch of CORES
pOndence between the Commissioner Of the
General Land Office and a firm of lI,\
brokers in Edinburg, who had taken alarrt
at the introduction in the Senate of the
dUoN t-IutlttiUlItu ltNtttlC.bl dtfi dtNilCN W
be informed if they would b. interfered
with in the possession of land already occu-
pied. The Commissioner replied TO this
letter stating that in his opinion no law
would be passed retroactive ia its nature,
the property rights of all persons being fully
protected in the United States. He SayS,
however, miSapprehenSi0n may exist aS to
what property rights have been or may be
acquired under tine present State laws. lie
then stated III detail the methods by which
public land may be legally acquired. and
closes with this statement: POsSeSSOry
rights to public lands. other than as author
iZed by the settlement and improvement
laws, are not recognized, and mere posi-
sion, occupation or enclosure gives no color,
right, title OF claim 10 any larger quantity
of land in the United States than tire quA$f
THY authorized by said laws.
PUBLIC DEIT
The following is the public debt statement