The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-22
GUARDING THE LANDS
Work of Timber-Land Agents
for Uncle Sam.
Much Property Saved TO the Government
By Men who work In Secret
Steamship Statistics

the government Of the special agents who
are looking after timber depredations and
the Illegal and fraudulent entry of public
lands is so great as 10 indicate that. but for
this service. the government would be Q
heavy loser. The salaries and expense ac-
counts of these special agents appear from
time to time in the appropriations bills.
but the itenized accounts are not for gen.
eral public inspection. This is
part of the governments secret
service. the usefulness of which would be
seriously impaired if the movements of
the agents were duly chronicled for the
perusai OF the reading public.
Some OF the special agents have recently
been retired from service because the funds
available to meet their expenses were ex-
hausted. These agents were working in
the Northwest, and for Just about month
as work which they are ordinarily ex-
pected to do was neglected Several Of
these timber depreciation agents were
working in Oregon and Washington. where
the timber is valuble and the lands are to q
large extent uusnrveyed. The secretary of
the interior sent to the treasury depart
ment statement showing the amount of
money expended since June 80 last for the
expenses OF agents looking after these
timber depredatines and the amount
needed to Keep the presen: force at work
until the end of the present fiscal year. For
the pay OF special agents looking after tim
Der depredations the total amount was
500 $50. Is. of which $4,000 had been al
ready appropriated. and for the protection
OF public lands from illegal and fraudulent
entry, the total was $1la.500. of which
an even 100000 was appropriated
by the last congress. These figures will
give an idea of the extent of the work the
government does in looking after its pub
lie timber and its public lands, as well as
an indication OF the extenT to which frauds
would be perpetrated if the government
did not keep its eye open for those who are
ready to perpetrate them.
The special agents of the interior depart
ment keep q close watch on the affairs that
come within the scope of their work, and it
is safe to say that the government is better
informed than people in sections remote
from the seat of government suppose. The
agents of the land department are engaged
in looking up evidences Of good faith or
otherwise on the part of those who are
after government land under the home
stead. presumption. timber culture or other
laws by which persons may acquire title to
lands. They study the maps showing the
government surveys, and are informed as
to the limits of railroad grants and the
conditions of lands granted to the states
for public purposes. Frequently they
appear at headquarters and make out care
fu! and exhaustive reports on the work
they have been doing. These reports are
in many cases seen by no one except the
heads of the departments. and the public
is not allowed to scrutinize them. They
are kept safely for evidence in contests be-
fore the department or in the courts, If
claimants bring action, or they are made
the basis of action if the government sees
fit to bring suit. 1t would be interesting if
an itemized statement of how the moneys
above mentioned were expended, or just
when they were expended.
Last autumn a special agent of the govern
ment spent several weeks in Montana.
looking up some alleged timber depreda-
tious there on the part Of certain corpora
tons. An elaborate report was submitted.
in which the subject was handled in plain
language, and which, it is said, would have
made q good deal of sensation ii ii had
been made public. as was desired on the
part of some of the department officials
who saw il. This. however, was not done,
and the report is locked up in the depart
rnent. for use or reference, as may be de-
sired hereafter.
A report submitted by James A. Du-
mont, the supervising inspector-generai OF
steam vessels, to Senator Frye, the chair
man of the Senate committee on COM
merce, gives'the number of steam vessels
inspected for the last fiscal year. by dis
tricts. In the frs. district. which includes
San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, there
we're: At San Francisco. a62 steamers, with
a tonnage of 92.00l.2 % tons and total Of
1915 licensed officers; at Portland. 13s
steamers. with o tonnage of 1851 81 tons,
and $50 officers; and at Seattle. i37 steam
ers. with tonnage of 9.4l7.A tons and 57l
officers. In the entire country, embracing
ten districts. the whole number of steamers
was 6, rs, with a tonnage Of 1878. 1907
tons and The whole number of iicen sed