River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-12-09
PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Repeal of the Prescription and Timber
Culture Laws *, c,nI ended.

Repeal of the Pr.-a.n ption and Timber
Culture Laws Ks COM ended.
The accommodations OF the secretary OF
the interior aud tue commissioner OF the gen
ersl land Office. looking to the better proJeo-
tion of pablo lands aud OF the 'pualie surveys,
preservation of national forests, the sdjbdic-
stiUn Of grams to state- and corporate, Ms and
OF private land claims aud the increased eihci-
eRcy Of the public land service, are
commended to the attention Of congress. To
secRre the widest distribution Of public lsnds
ia limited Quantities among settlers Of resi-
dence and cultivation aud thus make The great
est nun, Der OF Individual homes wac the pr
mary object Of the public land legislation in
the early days Of theNTepablio. This system
WAS a simple one. Ii commenced with an adj
mirsble scheme, by which the humblest
citizen coald identify the tract
upon which he wished to establish
his home The price OF land was PLACED with
in the reach a al ep'erprisipg, industrious
and honest pioneer citizens of the country.
IL WAS toon. however. found that the object OF
the Law was perverted under tse system OF
cash Gales from dislriiyuti0n Of land among
The people to an accumulation Of lan0 capt.
tai ~ wealthy aud speculative persons
Te check this tendency pre- ference
right Of purchase WAS give to settlers on the
lsnd-a plan which Gu miRated in the general
presumption act Of 1871. The foundation Of
this systen was actual residence and cutiVa-
ton Twenty years later the Homestead avs
we're devised, to more surely place actual
rullivators OF the soil. Tss land Wss
given without price, tie sole conditions
being residence, improvement and culiivs-
lion Other laws have followed, each de
signed TO encourage the requirement and nSr
OF land in limited industrial qualities. But
in later years these laws, through vicious ad
Einistrarive methods aud unoer CHARGED coz
ditlons OF communication and tTaasportsLlcns,
have been 60
EvADBp AND VIOLATED
that their benen. ent purpose IL threatened en-
tire tefpat Toe methods OF such eVastons
and violations ere set forth In detail In tue
reports OF the secretary OF the interior
and commissioner OF The general land
office. The rapid appropriation OF oar puhlic
lands withou1bona Ode settlements OF 'iviiiza
ton: and not only without intention Of resi-
dence bui for the purpose OF their aggreEs-
ton in large holdings, ia many cases 10 toe
hands OF foreigners, invite the serious
and immediate attention OF congress.
The earnings Of the aud department have
been devoted during he present sdmln'stra-
ton to remeay defects end correct snu-es IN
the public land servise. The result OF
these e1urts - so largely
in the nAture OF reforms 10 the process aud
methods OF our land system ss 10 prevent ade-
qusts estimates. But it appears ny com
pitaIion from the reports OF tue com m'-sioh
Of the general land Office that the Immediate
effect 10 Leading cases which have come
to a anal termination has been he restor-
alton OF the mass Of public lands
Of Two Hilton seven hundred and any th0us-
and acres; thai TWO million three hundred aud
seventy thousand acres are tmprsced 70 ia
vesu stiuns now pending before the depart
nent or the coHrts, ana lha'
action Of congress has been asked 70
efe,t the restoration Of 2. ~. nt0s-res ad3i-
tfoBai: besides wuirh. on 01n acr. e
been within. IA from re-~rvslion and The RI hss
81 en- eriug thereon mAintiued. rec 1nlhent
the repeal OF tue
rKE suFrIuE A4sp TIMER CULTURE ACTS
and thar the homestead laws be 50 amended