, 1889-09-20
Commissioner stones Report.

SotiillSNlOht Ntoht lhtpoIA-
WASHINGTON. Sept. l9.-The annual
report Of the acting commissioner general
OF the land office, William NJ. Stone, has
been submitted to the secretary ofthe in
terror. In opening his report Commits
sioner Stone refers to the accumulation Of
business in the office which had been
left over from former administrations and
which was partly due to the increasing
work ot local land Offices. The system
in force, he says, was not promotive of a
speedy dispatch of business, especially in
the case of the board OF review treated by
Commissioner Sparks, which he abolished
as a hindrance to good. safe and quick
work in the office.
Commenting on Mr.. Sparks unfortu-
nate and unwarranted suspicious that a
widespread system of fraud prevailed. and
MIR. Sparks assertion that The proper
ton of fraudulent filings to the total num-
Der of filings made and ~reliuquished may
be estimated In round numbers at 100 per
cent" MIR. Stone says:
This wholesale arraignment OF claim
ants on the public domain should not
have been made without the most conclu-
slve evidence to sustain it. The report
goes on to say that no general misconduct
On the part OF western settlers has been
found.
During the year 10, l41 agricultural
patents were issued, covering II, 7gl, Il9
acres of land, an increase over the pre-
ceding year of more than 5000, 900 acres.
Mineral patents to the number of 9l3,
covering an acreage of 1896 were is
sued. There we're patented for the bene
fit of railroads under the law 25,045
acres and under the swamp land grants to
states 259. T2l acres. State selections I'M
der educational grants were approved to
an extent of l32, $50 acres and lands to
Indians were patented under various acts
to the amount of l59, 800 acres.
The total cash receipts of the Office
from sale of lands and fees were s9,270,-
DDS, a decrease of more than SO. 600. 900
as compared with the previous year.
During the year surveys we're accepted
to the amount of 1914, 372 acres, primer
pallY in Ddkot", Montana and New Mex
leo.
Commissioner Stone calls attention to
certain allowances made to deputy survey
ors by the first comptroller of the treasury
in the years 1856 and 1887, which in his
opinion were grossly irregular and a pal
pable usurpation of the powers and duties
specially belonging to the commissioner
of the general land Office.
The report refers to the unsettled con-
dltlon of private land claims in New Mex.
leo and Arizona and the urgent need of
congressional action to settle titles in these
territories. Referring to the act OF March
3, 1889, which authorizes the secretary of
the interior to adjust titles of railroads if
any h yn haan arrnnrpn5lu narftHal nr
patented, to commence proceedings to
cancel them. The report states of the
pending selections that 81. Goo, $40 acres
have been suspended, awaiting action by
congress.
Attention is called to the fact that more
than so. 900, 900 acres of land have been
claimed under the swamp land act in
various states. Florida alone, while hav-
ing a total acreage of but 81, 93l $50
acres, having lists filed for %, 22l 400
acres as swamp land.
There can be no doubt" says the re-
port, that large quantities of land
amounting to millions of acres have been
patented to the state enormously as
swamp, when in fact they were and are
good agricultural lands"
The work of examining exparte
mineral entries is said to be two and a
half years in arrears. The report recon-
mends when a homestead or pre-emption
claimant receives Il patent and mineral is
discovered subsequently on his claim,
that his certificate of entry shall act as a
bar to any mining claim upon a discov-
cry made subsequent to entry.
The report recommends the repeal Of
all laws relating to public timber and the
enactment of a general law plain, concise
and unmistakable in meaning.
Fewer fraudulent entries have been
made during the year than for many years
past, owing to increased vigilance, but sew
eral cases are mentioned in the report
where syndicates sought to obtain coal
andsb by fraudulent means, and in one
case had they succeeded the commission
alone would have amounted to $3.50, 900.
The opening of Oklahoma is referred
to as the most important event for several
years in the administration of the land of
fee.