The Lamar register., 1891-10-03
THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
Report of Commissioner Carter for
Last Year

The report of Commissioner Carter
for the hscal year ending June 80, 1891,
has been made public. A comparative
statement is made showing the number OF
agricultural. mineral and coal entries
made during the fiscal years 1856 aud 1881,
aud the fiscal years 1890 aud 1871. Patents
issued during the fiscal Years $500 and
1891 We're: Presumption, 1885; home
stead, i5,5l5 timber culture, 51,4lj; mil
itary bounty land, 123; agricultural col
lege script 82i miscellaneous script, 4I6;
mineral, 3,l9S coal, 40.
The total number of agricultural pat
ents issued during 1856 and lSs' was 40
-4i3 against total OF 33l, COZ during the
years 1850 and 1891, an increase OF Isl, l6i
patents. The increase in the number Of
mineral patents issued was 9j,, and of
coal patents 3S2.
The number of acres of public lands
disposed of during the year shows that the
cash sales amounted to :, l4},O3O acres. OF
the miscellaneous entries (uot CASH 50
0IO,Ss3 acres were homesteads; gJe,0o5
acres were entered under the timber cul-
ture law. The railroad selections
amounted to l,s5I,5I1 acres; the state Sc
Iections, lT4,4 ,4O4 acres; the Indian allot-
ments to III, 4s5, and the original swamp
sections to 23, I61 acres. Total cash re
ceipts during the year, S5, 499, ,22O. Filings
during the year, 20, 24l, the fees on which
amounted TO S77, ,O69.
Final entries during the year were 81,
934, representing an acreage OF 1853, sos;
aT ttsfa h.a A
gregating G,409 $50 acres. Decrease OF
entries for the year, 1854, representing
an acreage of ., 2,595, $50.
Patents TO land grant railroads during
the year. S,0SS,697 acres; an increase over
previous years of >, 12+,S SIT. Surveys have
been accepted during the year to the
amount of S,0a6,oOi. The vacant public
lands in the public land states and terri
tories is 579, ,664, Is3.
| The approvals during the year under
the different grants to the several states
for educational purposes aud under the
saline grant, having the effect OF patent,
embraced an area of 57B,l73 acres OF
this amount Nevada received apprOvals
for AS, ,s64 acres; Oregon gl,3i3; Idaho,
1905; South Dakota, 4i,3s3; Colorado,
81, ,4S9; Minnesota, 3O,3Sl; Missouri, 80
81; Louisiana, 10, 445. The increase in
the approvals for educational purposes
during the year was 2ld, 1893 acres.
At the close OF the fiscal year there were
found to be 81, 05S final entries pending in
the office, against EOS, ,O54 at the close OF
the previous fiscal year, decrease Of
l25,OO6. Railroad selections amounting to
IS, ,S4G,5T1 acres were pending July I, 1921,
which is decrease of g3J, ,O1S as compared
with the last preceding fiscal year,
The following shows the vacant public
lands, in acres, in the Western states and
territories:
Arizona, 55,OGl, ,OO5; California, o., 800, =
I99; Colorado, a, l67, ,O3J; Idaho y, ,5,1, -
s5l; Kansas, Ig9, ,OTs; Minnesota, $50, go /.
Montana, 4,s72, 559; Nebraska, II, 40, 435;
Nevada, SO, $50, ,524; New Mexico, 81, SOS, =
d7g; North Dakota, Ii, 1855, 40; Oklahoma,
5, ,5O2, iO8; Oregon, 81, ,e20 Isl; South Da-
kota, l4,OS5, ,S9i; Utah, 35, 42S, ,957; Wash
ington, 1,oO2, 1888; Wyoming, 5O,S42, 49,.
Mr. Carter protests that the unsatisfsc-
tory experience following the granting Of
swamp lands to the states cannot properly
be urged against the plan proposed for the
| settlement OF tie arid Land question, and
then says:
while the swamp land grant states
may have been Indifferent and uuwise in
dealings with a grant which was but a
mere incidental matter, the desert land
grant states could not afford to thus deal
with and consider question Of vital i'm
portance Indifference would court ad-
yersity and recklessness would bring ruin.
When proposition of this gravity is sub
mitted TO any organized body OF citizens
directly interested in its wise considera-
ton and solution they will consider wisely
aud act well'