New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-10-17
eOirr Public Lands.

s. -. dkslager, commissioner of -Eheren-
eraI land Office, has su omitted to the secre-
i tary OF the interior his report for the fiscal
| year ended June 80, 1888 The figures show
Ling the amount of lands covered by new
/ entries during the year and the gross cash re-
celpts have already been made public The
report shows:
During the year s.eo5. 1914 acres of land
| has been conveyed from the government,
| either by patent or by certifcation under
| specific grants. "A detailed tabular state
| ment shows the mum bers of patents of each
class issued, by states and territories from
| which 1T appears that 47.150 patents have
been issued during the year Dakota received
the largest number, 1864, and Kansas
| next, tn. This statement does not in
clude mineral patents, of which ]. O34 were
issued. Lands were patented or certified to
railroad companies to the amount of s29,-
| 4I62 acres IN the states of Arkansas, Iowa.
Wisconsin and Minnesota. Lands were certii-
! fed by the several states under the swamp
| grant to the amount of 96,5l5 acres, and
under school selections, 99,205 acres. After
showing in detail the seonveyan of title to
the public lands. the commission calls atten-
ton to the accumulation of work in his of
| lice, undisposed of. July | there were pend
ing and unpatented, 32S,16S final entries
| and $50, 1853 original entries awaiting final
proof. The number of original entries made
during the year was 1854 and the final
| proof was made on 20, 468. Railroad selee-
tons aggregating 1923, 866 acres. swamp
and educational and internal improvements
selections aggregating l,S5O,oO0 acres, were
also pending. The statement of lands re
stored to the public domain during this adj
mlnlstratlo is brought down to the close of
the fiscal year and shows total of "a, 1885,
800 acres restored and 95,O20.53 acres
recommended for restoration Sur
veys of 2, 912, 342 acres were accepted. after
careful examination in the field by the
agents of the land office It is stated that II;
is impossible to obtain bids for the survey
ing OF lands at.estabished rates, and an in
crease OF rates is.urged. Urgent recommen-
datlon is also made for an appropriation of
$500, 900 to carry on the work of surveying
the public domain. The commissioner dis
cusses ut some length the necessity for ex-
tending the public surveys. The decision of
Secretary Villas in the Guilford Miller case is
referred to, and it is stated that there are
1000 similar cases pending in the land office:
and lands in the indemnity limits of the
Northern Pacific, the Allan tic & Pacific the
Southern Pacific the California & Oregon
and the Oregon & California roads, to the
extent of u 900 acres, are affected by
SAID decision. The report says that of the
25,429, S66 acres OF land covered by selections
pending at the close of the fiscal year, 81
bbO, S46 acres We're selected by railroad
companies whose roads were not completed
in the time required by their respective grants.
The forfeiture of all lands coterminous with
those parts OF the respective roads which
were uncompleted at the expiration of the
time llfs' tied Tor their construction is recon-
mended. : -tention is called t o the fact that
no authority on aw exists for compelling the
attendance of witnesses to testify in hearings
mad on behalf of the government or in
contest cases, in proceedings before
registers and receivers, to ascertain whether
entries are legal or whether the law has been
complied with. Congress is urged to supply
some legislation on the subject Legislation
is recommended for the purpose of making
the practice uniform as to the officers who
may take final proof in presumption and
homestead cases. The pending public lands
bill, commonly known as the Holman bill. is
endorsed by the commissioner. The com
missioner recommends the reorganization of
the bureau by act of congress, SO as to pro-
vide for all of the necessary divisions by law
and for compensation for the officials of the
bureau commensurate with the class of ser
vices rendered