The record-union., 1891-09-26
PUBLIC LANDS.
ANNUAL REPORT OF COAIMIS-
SIONER CARTER.
Large Increase in the Number of
Patents Issued-Strong Plea for the
Irrigation of Arid Lands.
Special to the REcoRp-uSror.

Special to the RECoRD-USIoN.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25.-The report of
Commissioner Carter of the operations of
the General Land Office was made public
to-day. The total number of agricultural
patents issued during 1SS6-87 was A, ,443,
against total of 81, ,667 during the years
lS9O-9l, an increase of 187 .l64 patents. The
increase in the number of mineral patents
issued was 967. and of coal patents 3S2
The number Of acres of public lands dis
posed of during 1891 shows the cash sales
amounted to 2, 143, $50 acres, of miscellane-
Gus entries mot CASH; 5,0i0,393 acres
homesteaded, and $500 acres entered
under the timber-culture law. The rail-
road selections amounted to ,357, ,572
acres, the State selections to ia, ,404 acres,
the Indian allotmentS TO III, ,4S5 acres, and
the original swamp selections to %, ,I67
acres. The total cash receipts during the
year were s., AS, go. The filings during
the year were 20,241. The final entries
during the year were 81 ,934, representing
an acreage of 1853, ,905. The original en-
tries the same time were 45, $40, aggregate
ing 6,409,S32 acres. The decrease in en-
tries for the year was I5, ,664, representing
an acreage of 2,596,s20 The patents to
land grant railroads during the year were
3O,0SS,6 acres, an increase over the pre-
vious year of 2,724,S17. Surveys were
accepted during the year to the amount
of $685. ,904 acres. The vacant public
lands in the States and Territories are
makes strong plea for the irrigation of
arid lands.
The approvals during the year under
the different grants to States for educa-
tional purposes. and under the Saline
grant. having the effect of patent. en-
braced an area of 756,l72 acres. OF this
amount Nevada received approyals for
44S,S64 acres; Oregon, 81 ,343, and Idaho.
10000.
At the close of the fiscal year there
we're found TO be S2,05S final entries pend
ing in the office, against 200,S at the
close of the previous fiscal year. Railroad
selections amounting to 2S,S46,577 acres
were pending on July l. 1891, which is a
decrease OF 930,07S, as compared with the
last preceding fiscal year.
Inc following shows the vacant public
lands in acres of the several public lands
of the States and Territories: Arizona.
55,06l 600; California, 81, ,299, 400: Idaho.
2},7ol sol; Montana, 74,372, ,769; Nevada,
53, .524; Oregon, 80, ,220, Isl: Utah. s..
i2s,797 Washington, 20, 4Ol ,69l; Wyom-
ing, 50,S42,434.
commissioner Carter protests that the
unsatisfactory experience following the
granting of swamp lands to States cannot
properly be urged againsB the plan pro-
posed for the settlement of the arid lands
question, and then says: while the
swamp land grant States NAV have been
indifferent and unwise in dealing with
the grant, which was but q mere Incl
dental matter, the desert land grant States
could not afford TO thus deal with oues-
ton of vital Importance Indifference
would court adversely, and recklessness
would bring ruin. When proposition
of this rrax+ifv iG Subrt1itfa1 10 - =.
lied body of American citizens directly
interested in its wise consideration and
solution, they will consider wisely and
act well.n