The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1888-07-07
PUBLIC LAND LEGISLATION.

The conviction that the legislation
OF the United States and the admins
trative policy of the government in
relation to the public lands have
erred on the side of looseness in the
past, and that the time has come for
the adoption of stricter line of pol
icy, has grown in strength in the re-
cent past. 1t has been strengthened
in a very definite way by the recogni-
ton of substantial basis fori on the
part of high administrative officers.
In the last annual report of the secre-
tary of the interior that officer re-
ferred to the recognition by his i'm
mediate predecessor of the evils and
abuses connected with the public land
system, and Of the impossibility OF
dealing adequately with them with the
means and authority at his COM
mand. His own conclusions were not
only confirmatory Of this position in
general, but went still further. He
declared that with the existing laws
in force, and the appliances used for
their perversion in vigorous operation,
every attempt by mere administrative
agencies to prevent the evils COM
plaiped of would be fruitless and una
vailing. As the result Of a careful
consideration of the subject, he rec
commended the immediate and total
repeal of the preemption laws, the
timber culture acts the relinquish-
ment acts, the cash entry laws, and
the desert land law. His idea was
that the public lands subject to dis
posal should be entered exclusively
under the homestead laws, and that
the other laws should be repealed by
a short act from the operation OF
which the mineral lands, the timber
reserves and some Others should be
saved.
These suggestions OF secretary La
mar have been adopted in part in a
bill dealing with the public lands
which has just been passed by the
house Of representatives. 1t Classics
all of the public lands as agricultural,
timber, mineral, desert and reserved.
1t repeals the preemption and timber
culture laws, but authorizes mineral
and stone lands to be disposed of un-
der existing laws. Citizens, or per-
sons declaring their intention to be-
come such, are al lowed to enter 160
acres of iron or coal lands at the price
Of $40 per acre. The sections relat-
ing to timber lands forbid the sale OF
such lands, but allow the timber to be
disposed Of under proposals, and per
NIT settlers to take timber not COM
mercially valuable for domestic use.
Where minerals are discovered on
tracts where the timber has been sold,
it is provided that such lands may be
entered as mineral lands. The resi-
dents of the western territories are
permitted to cut timber under exist
ing laws for six months after the pass
age Of the act, and the timber cut
must be removed within five years.
The president is authorized to set
apart tracts of forest lands as public
reservations. Isolated tracts of
less than 160 acres may be
sold at not less then S1.25
per acre. The sections relating to
desert lands authorize any person to
enter a 800 acre tract Of such land
upon affidavit that it is for his own
benefit, and not for a corporation,
that he intends to cultivate by irriga-
tion, and upon payment OF from S5
to $40, varying with the size of the
entry. Patents are to issue for such
lands, however, only when one-eighth
OF the land has been irrigated and cul-
tivated within three years and upon
payment of 25 cents per acre. The
provisions relating to agricultural
lands allow heads of families, making
affidavit that the land is for their own
use, to enter quarter section tracts
where they do not own that amount
OF land in any state or territory, upon
payment of SIS or $40, according to
the size of the entry. Entrymen are
required to establish residence upon
their claim within six months after
entry in habitable houses, to reside
thereon continuously for five years, to
cultivate at least ten acres, when they
may take out patents. Such are the
leading features of the measure which
has just passed the house. Its pas
sage is recognition of the sentiment
demanding more careful regulation
OF the means for disposing of and ac-
quiring public lands, a sentiment
which has grown with the decrease OF
the public domain and which must
before long be satisfied by effective
legislation.