The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-12-09
PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Repeal Of the Pre.cl ptl0n and Timber
Culture LAWS Recommended.
The recommendations Of the secretary ol
the interior and the commissioner Of the gen
eral land Office. looking to the better protec
ti0n OF public lands and Of the puOlic surveys,
preservation Of national forests, the adjudic.
alton Of grants to states and corporations. and
Of private land claims and the increased efici
ency Of the public land service, are
commended to the attention Of congress. "a
secure the widest distribution Of public lands
In limited quantities among settlers Of resi-
dence and cultivation and thus make tho great.
est number OF individual homes was the pr
mary object OF the public land legislation IN
the early days Of the republic. This system
was . simple one. 1t commenced with 40 I'd.
0ifable scheme, By which the humbIesl
citizen could identify the tract
upon which he wished TO establish
his home. The price Of land was placed with.
In the reach Of III enterprisiDg, industrious
and honest pioneer citizens Of the country.
the Law WAS perverted under the system OF
cash sales from distribution Of land among
the people 70 an accumulation Of lano capt.
tai BY wealthy aud speculative persons.
To check this tendency . preference
right Of purchase was given to settlers on the
land-a plan which illuminated In the general
pre- -emption act OF l64l. The foundation Of
Suso DyosV1 w. 0NtOoA IOob00oC0 0OU CUttlv8.
ton. Twenty years later the homestead laws
were devised. 70 moro surely place actual
homes In the possession Of actual
cultivators Of the soil. The land was
given without price. the sole conditions
being residence, improvement and cultiva-
ton. Other laws have followed, each Do
signed to encourage the requirement and usr
Of land in limited industrial quantities. But
In later years these laws. through vicious 3D.
ministrative methods and unoer charged con-
ditions Of communication and transportations,
have been %
EvADED AND VIOLATED
that their benencent purpose 10 threatened on.
tire defeat The methods Of such evaeions
and violations are set forth In detail In the
reports Of the secretary Of the interior
and commissioner OF the general land
Office. The rapid appropriation OF our public
lands without bona fide settlements or civilixs
tion; and mot only without intention Of resi-
dence. but for the purpose OF their aggrega-
tion in large holdings. in many cases In the
hands Of foreigners, invite the serious
and immediate attention Of congress.
The earnings Of the land department have
been devoted during the present administra.
ton to remedy defects and correct abuses In
the public land service. The result Of
these enOrts arc 10 largely
in tho nature OF REFORMS In the process and
methods Of our land system - TO prevent ade-
quate estimates. But It appears by q COM
pilaliOn from the reports Of the commission
Of the general land Office that the immediate
effect in leading cases which have come
to final termination has been the restor-
alton Of the mass Of public lands
Of two million seven hundred and hfty thous-
and acres; that two million three hundred and
seventy thousand acres are embraced IN 10.
vesti ations now pending before the depart.
nent or the courts, and that
action OF congress has been aeked TO
effect the restoration Of 2. S9O. 900 acres add
tional: besides which, 4,OW OOO acr.s have
been withheld from reservation and The rights
OF entering thereon maintincd. recomnenl
the repeal OF the
PkE SYMPTOM AID TIMBER CULTURE ACTS,
and that the homestead laws be % amended