The state herald., 1891-10-02
THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
Report Of Commissioner Carter for
Last Year.

Hoport OF commissioner SArteF TOT
Last Year.
The report Of Commissioner Carter
for the fiscal ye ending June 30. 1901,
has been made public. A comparative
statement Is made showing the number Of
agricultural, mineral and coal entries
made during the fiscal years 1885 and 1887,
and the fiscal years 1890 and 1891. Patents
issued during the fiscal years 1890 and
1891 were: Presumption, l49,5l5; homo
stead, 75,5i5; timber culture, 5l,4ij; mill
itary bounty land, 'at; agricultural col
lego script, 81; miscellaneous script, 446;
mineral, 3,l9S; coal, 40.
Tho total number Of agricultural pat
snts issued during 1856 and 1887 was A.
443, against total OF 23l, ,607 during the
years 1880 and 1891, an increase Of ls7, 1874
patents. The increase In the number Of
mineral patents Issued was 987. and Of
coal patents 3s!.
The number OF acres Of public lands
disposed Of during the year shows that the
cash sales amounted TO !, l43,0.U acres. or
the miscellaneous entries mot CASH 3d.
0,0,3S3 acres were homesteads; 969, COS
acres were entered under the timber cul
ture law. The railroad selections
amounted to |, ,S5i,5i! acres; the state Sc
lections, ,4O4 acres; the Indian sllot
ments TO Ia; is5, and the original swamp
sections to 23, id7 acres, Total cash re-
ceipts during the year, $5,4a9,2 20. Filings
during tie year, aO,2il, the fees on which
amounted to 1863.
Final entries during the year were 5l,-
034, representing an acreage OF 1859, COS !;
original entries the same time. 47,S45, az
Eregating t,i09, $50 acres. Decrease Of
entries for the year, 1854, representing
an acreage of a,595, SO.
Patents to land grant railroads during
the year, 3,0ss, ,637 acres; un increase over
previous years Off, 7a4,si7. Surveys have
been accepted during the year TO the
amount OF s,09d,OOi. The vacant public
lands in the public land states aud terri.
tories is So. .6t,,1s
The upprovals during the year under
the different grants to the several states
for educational purposes and under the
saline grant, having the effect Of patent
embraced an area of 7i6, l1s acres. Oi
this amount Nevada received approvals
for 44s,s ,s64 acres; Oregon 0i,3i3; Idaho,
40,O)6; South Dakota, 4,,3s2; Colorado,
81, ,4S9; Minnesota, 3O,3sl; Missouri, 80
sa1; Louisiana, 10, ,445. The increase in
the approvals for educational purposes
during the year was 2ld,3J3 acres.
At the close Of the fiscal year there were
found to be s3,0.s final entries pending in
the Office, against 70 1854 ut the close of
the previous fiscal year, decrease OF
l25,O06. Railroad selections amounting to
2s, ,s46,5T acres were pending July l, 1891,
which is decrease OF 930,OsS 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,O5i ,0O5; California, 81, 299,-
499; Colorado, 4.,l61,05o; Idaho. 33,7,i.-
s5i; Kansas, 799,O'S; Minnesota, $50, ,9;5;
Montana, 1l,35., ,'69; Nebraska, II, AGO, 1876;
Nevada, 5a,6s9,5!4; New Mexico, 81, $685.
6T9; North Dakota, LBS, 40; Oklahoma,
3,S0s, 406; Oregon, ,aaO, Isl; South Da-
kota, 1I,oS5,s9i Utah, 1,4aS,9S7; Wash
ington, l,OOa, 1888; Wyoming, 80, ,434.
MIR. Carter protests that the unsatisfac-
tory experience following the granting Of
swamp lands to the states cannot properly
be urged against the plan proposed for the
settlement of the arid land question, and
then says:
"While the swamp land grant states
may have been Indifferent and unwise In
dealings with grant which was but
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 i'd
versity and recklessness would bring ruin.
When u proposition OF this gravity is sub
mitted to any organized body Of citizens
directly interested In Its wise considera-
tion and solution they will consider wisely
and act WELL"