The Delta independent., 1889-09-24
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Report Of the Acting Commissioner
of the General Land Office.
A BIG YEARS WORK.

The annual report of Acting Com
missioner VIM. NJ Stone of the General
Land ONCE has been submitted to the Sec
retary of the Interior.
During the year 0,l6l agricultural pa
tents were issued, covering II, 19l, l19 acres
of land, an increase over the preceding of
mole than 1000 900 acres. Mineral patents
to the number of 9l3, covering an acreage of
1905 were issued, There were patented
for the benefit of railroads under the law
425, ,046 acres of land and under swamp land
grants to the States 259, ,72l acres. State
selections under educational grants were
approved to the extent of l32, 800 acres and
lands TO Indians patented under the var
ious acts in the amount of 159, %. The to
tai cash receipts of the Office from sales of
land and fees were =, go, 225, a decrease of
more than $1,000, 900 as compared with the
previous year. During the year surveys
were accepted to the amount of 4,54+ ,312
acres, principally in Dakota, Montana and
New Mexico.
Commissioner Stone calls attention TO
certain allowances made to deputy survey
ors by the First Comptroller OF the Treas
ury in the years 1861, which, in his opin
ion, were grossly irregular and a palpablc
usurpation of the powers and duties speci
ally belonging to the Commissioner of the
General Land Office. The report refers to
the unsettled condition of private land
claims in New Mexico and Arizona, and the
urgent need of Congressional action to set
tie titles in these Territories.
Referring to the act of March g. 1889,
which authorizes the Secretary of the In
terror TO adjust each of the railroad grants
and If any of them have been enormously
certified or patented, to commence pro-
ceedings to cancel them, the report states
tina. of the pending selections al,66o, SO
acres have been suspended, awaiting action
by Congress.
Attention is called to the fact that more
than 81, ,000, 900 acres of land have been
claimed under the swamp act in various
States, Florida alone, while having total
acreage of but 81, ,S3l $50 acres. having lists
fled for p t,2l .469 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 States enormously as
swamp when in fact they Were and arc
good agricultural lands
Tbs work of fexamining or pdTte mineral
entries is said TO be two and one-half years
in arrears.
The report recommends that when a
homestead or pre-emption claimant receives
a patent and mineral is discovered subsc-
quently on his claims, that his certificate
of entry shall act as a bar to any mining
claim upon a discovery made subsequent to
the entry.
The report recommends the repeal OF all
laws relative to public timber and the en-
actment of general law, plain concise and
unmistakable in meaning.
Fewer fraudulent entries have been made
during the year than for many years past,
owing to the increased vigilance, but sew
eral cases are mentioned in the report
where svndicates sought to obtain coal
lands by fraudulent means, and in one case
had they succeeded, the commission alone
would have amounted to SS5, 900.
The opening Of Oklahoma is referred to
as the most important event for several
years in the administration of the land Of
fee