The Delta independent., 1888-12-04
cDpp'. L,wa Review.

ASwraL 4vs1kf or rHE COMMISSIONER OF
THE dESEBaL LAsB .,aFlCE-REcoM.
AESos roSs THAT THE eRE.EAPTloa
aHD TINHER.cULruRk LAWS RE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Why.
THE annual repart Of. Che Camiais-
einssey Of tise Generas f.aaa Office is in
the Aaads of the printer and will be
given to the psLiic in Il few DAYS.
Like several of his predecessors in
s,t6ce, Mr.. St.cksiager recommends
legislation ssr tise prevention of frauds
sn relation to the requirement of title
I" public iaads. and expresses, ia no
uneertssn language. the opinion that
the pre- emptiaE, mLer-c4itufa. desert
land and homestead laws so far as re-
sat-s to the comm nutatien clause, should
t'e repealed or greatly modified. and
that the public domain should he de-
voted exclusively To the use and benefit
of persons who in good faith desire the
same for actual homes.
An enormous array of testimony is
antrodnced tending to show that the
laws above mentioned admit of the
perpetrat,0n of frauds. are detrimental
to the settlement of the country, and
operats to defeat the best interests of
the government which demand that the
,auds shall be actually occupied by
Iona .fde citizens and settlers owning
sheir homes.
The repeal OF the presumption. desert
innd and commutaion clause of the
s,nmestead laws is advocated because
hey afford opportunities by which un-
s''rWl4iasls spectators. with the aid of
constituencies confsderates used as
dummy settlers. are enabled to acquire
title to vast areas of land to be held for
sale at advanced prices or to be leased
to families who by reason of their greed
are prevented from securing homes of
their own. They tend to the erection
in this country of Il landlord and tenant
system similar tn those of some Euro
pean countries. inconsistent with the
principles of our government. and 10
build up u landed aristocracy.
The etim6er-culture law is denounced.
not because title to land is frequently
fraudulentiy secured under the same,
hut because it operates to reserve the
lands from settlement for a period of
years without any equivalent to the
...,l L.,
the timber culture entryman. The
entry of 100 acres costs but II small
sum As fee and commissions. Nothing
10 required Of the entryman for one
year. then he must break five acres of
the iand-a triiiing cost During the
next year lie must cultivate the five
ncres already broken and break an
other tive acres. The next year he is
required 10 plant Ave acres to timber
and cultivate the other five. Tie next
lie must plant the second five acres to
timber.
Thus. at trifiing expense. the party
nry for four years exercise complete
control Of II quarter section of land
without violating or evading the law,
and sell - REIMBURSEMENT of his entry
for good round sum. the increase in
value rendering the privilege of enter.
ing the land very valuable.
The registers and receivers of nearly
all of the district land Offices. in letters
to the Commissioner, concur in the
opinion that the majority of public
land frauds are perpetrated under the
laws named.
1t is almost certain that the Commits
sioner's report. with its convincing
Testimony, will secure Mt the next ses-
sion Of Congress. If not at this, a repeal
Of the prescription and timber-cnlture,
and vt least modification of tile de-
sert land laws.
HENRY N. CoPP.
-