The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-28
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Commissioner GrofFs Urgent
Appeal for Surveys
GREAT LOSS ~ FOREST FIRES.
Tes Trees Bur.sA for One ChsppeA
D-eus-Eepsrs On he csndistsa
wssAisgtc. Crops
GREAT Loss ~ FOREST FIRES.

OF the general land cfiire has
made an urgent appeal TO the committee
ap~usopsistsonss for increased appFopria-
tons for the survey Of public lands. Mon
land interests having drawn forth an
expression Of his views. He says.
IL il beyond question that keeping unsar-
veysd 90 large . Iady of land in thst state re-
ssrds its settlement snd improvement and BE-
issve Is 20 be . soard public policy 10 facilitate
the survey IN shsl portion OF the country ~ rap
idly a. possible
Thia samc semask win apply to other wesfern
states - weil a. 70 AontaDA snd my deliberate
opinion 10 thss the surveys at the public d6DAfn
are being too much retarded By inadequate ap
preparations. and that this error should Be cor
- noon as possible.
The statistics Of the pubic land surveys
In Washington wers recently given In this cor
reapondcrce. from which IL appeared thai OF the
land already surveyed in the state but l.f7u.657
acres remain usdisposed Of
The department Of agriculture reports
from Washington are very favorable for
the wheat crop. The correspondent Of the
Island county. says: .Larg-
est crop since ISIS. owing to good season."
The Lincoln county correspondent writes:
Largest area ever given II. and prospect
vas never better"
Professor Dodge. the statistician Of the
department. furnishes the following esti-
mates OF the acreage and condition Of
crops IN Washington. as made up from the
reports 70 the department. 100 being
regarded as high average condition:
winter rye. acreage compared with last year,
lis; spring wheas. acreage SOW this spring CON-
pared with last, les: average condition. ~. Bar
icy. acreage compsred with, last year, los; aver
age condition. VI. Oats, acreage compared with
last rear. io6; average condition. 81. Clover.
acreage compare With last year. 1o2: average con-
dition. "a. Spring pasture. average condition.
~ Apples. average condition Of the crop. Is.
Peaches, average condition Of the crop. a.
Professor Dodge says that in the North
ern Rocky mountains and Pacific coast
there Is . return Of high condition
the apple crop, with the probability that
when the bloom has passed it will be found
the set Of fruit is not equal to expecta-
tons. As TO peaches he says that there ID
only . medium promise"
Judge Croft. commissioner Of the land
Office. says that for every tree destroyed by
the woodlands axe, at least ten trees are
destroyed by the c~onfiagration arising. in
nearly every instance. from careless, ii not
wiiiful, neglect to take the most ordinary
precautions. In consequence. he says there
is urgency for some law to protect the tim
Der on the public lands as it Is found that
statute exists under which such prosecu-
tons can be successfully maintained. He
calls attention to the disastrous ere in
Idaho. which extApded over fcnr square
OF timbered country. destroying
great quantities OF fine government timber,
and also to the widespread forest fires
which ragged in Oregon and Montana. in
which millions Of trees were destroyed and
many lives lost.
This matter Is OF immediate interest to
Washington. too. and hence the passage of
. protective law can be said to have Q local
bearing. Congress will probably pass such
q law at this session, at least such is the
OF the committee on public
lands. where the matter has been under
consideration. in which il will be provided
and carelessly set on FIRE or a
to be set on fire any woods. underbrush or
on any OF the public lands. and any
person who shall msliciously or negligently
or suffer any fire which he may
have lighted on other lands 70 pass there
from to the public lands Of the United
to the injury OF the trees. under
growth or prairie. upon such public lands
shall be Liable to Q FIN In the sum of not
more thar three times the value of the
trees or other growth, or imprisoned for .
Term OF not more than three years, or both;
of the fine TO go to the informer,
and the remaining half into the public
school fund Of the county IN which the
property destroyed is situated.
The agent at the Tulalip agency says, in q
TO the department relative to the
Indians under his charge. thai the farming
are confined principally to the SWIM
omish, Lummi and Muckleshoot reserya-
but there Is some good agricultural
land on the Tulalip reserve, which is
gradually being cleared md worked. The
and Madison Indians cannot be
as farmers. but make rs much
money perhaps as their neighbors. cutting
cordwood and working i'm logging camps
and saw mills adjoining their reservation.
The Lnmmi and Muckleshoot Indians
are farmers and have done fairly well the
last year OF two They are self-supporting,
but they are not 50 industrious nor do they
equal the Tulalip or Swinomish Indians in
many respects. Considered rs tribes, they
are not improving. and il is doubtful il
they are holding their own.
The Puget sound Indians are not q very
people at best. and is takes very lit
tie sickness OF any kind to tell upon their
constitutions. A very small per
of the number horn ever reach ma
and there are any number OF fami-
who have buried from three to eight
and have not a single child left
The very Oldest seem the and
" hile the yonueer generation are more IN
and industrious. they are rhysic-
ally weaker.
Washington is one of the states likely TO
loss Of lands donated by congress
unless existing statistics are properly
amended, and hence IL directly interested
in the measure Judge Payson has in charge
to place the states and territories ia q posi-
ton where the school, grant can be applied
10 good lands. and the largest measure OF
To the school funds be secured
Judge Payson. who il chairman Of the
mittee on pubic lands. says the House
should indorse the bill passed by the Sem
ale 10 amend the statutes ss the school
Is intended - have eqas, operation
and equal beGeft in all the public land
u territories, n congress has
passed s;eciAl acts To cover defects
II particular states and territories. Ii il
proposed that the limit alton OF indemnity
within the same land districts
be renewed. ~ 10 Is now destructive
Of the school grant IN those districts where.
by large donations 30 railroads o. rapid se.-
Of the country. be- area OF the pub
&c lands remaining 10 diminishing in GUAM.