The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1891-12-05
VOL. g, NO. 20.
DEALS WITH THE WEST.
THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIORS
REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT. ~

Public Domain. @..%& .o.
! WAsulSGTuS, Nov. 30 The annual
report of the secretary Of the interior
was given to the public today. 1t is 4
! voluminous document and treats al length
| upon the various matters which have re
ceivcd the attention "t the department.
Regarding the irrigation Of arid lands
Of the west, the report says: ltappcars
by 4 table published in III" Secretary's
report for 1890 that. not including Alaska
or the Cherokee outlet III Gltcr Indian
lands aud certain other small exceptions,
the vacant lands Of the United States
amounted to 5s6,o1f,slG acres. The
amount remaining on June 80. 1891, with
some exceptions, WAS 5i9,Gil ,6S3 acres.
Of which ai,O2I .Il5 are Yet unsurvryed.
1t is estimated that at least 3ub,OOO.O0O
acres of these vacant lands are useless
for agriculture, but that 120,000O00 that
are now desert may be redeemed by irr-
CATION, so as To produce the cereals,
fruits and garden products possible in
the climate where the lands are located.
Under the act Of March 3. 1891. there
have been already filed maps Of location
for 81 reservoirs and 4G canals, the canals
and bitches being G}1.i1 miles in length.
Under the desert land law Of 1871, re
clamation has been made and final prpor
produced in 1896 entries. With area Of
l.llI. .l2O acres. "-- .--
1t is perceived from these facts that
congress has 81 far acted That private
corporations ana associations urc nnw
substantially givcn the field pf the water
supply for that vast domain that may be
redeemed hy irrigation, and that this field
il being rapidly seized upon. The United
States by existing Legislation does not re-
tain any control, and bat weakly and
insutlieiently establishes the authority of
the states and territories The control of.
the water II handed over to corporations
and associations. The states and terri
tories may be expected to exercise under
the reservation Of authority expressed in
thc statute referred tu, some control Of
these companies ana protect their citi-
zens from expressions: but the United
States government, from whom these
vastly Important ana fir reaching priv-
legc+ rlntuate. Should not release alto
S-NtIlNi ~" i!FitA hlf''Ii t!i'' sAttI StIfflN
and it, ultimate distributions so one
can now compute the money value that
will concentrate in these reservoirs ai.a
canals and bitches conveying the water
to the fields Of the lll!sbanimar. and
upon which tho people must depend for
their prosperity. The efficiency of lorNl
Loci tuition ,,l"., ~ ;"eisi,.a@ l.- si,ta...=
interests. and few may be enriched a,
the expense Of the many.
1t is worthy Of notice that the rriga
tion congress, held at salt 5lsakr City.
Utah. Sept. l3-l resolved, among other
things, that il WAS in favor et granting in
trust. upon such conditions rs would
serve the public interests, 10 the states
and territories nccdlul of irrigation. all
| lands now q part Of the public domain
within said states and territories. except
mineral lands, for the purpose Of dcvcl-
opinr irrigation. to render the lands now
arid fertile and capable of supporting a
population, and that Il committee should
| be selected to prepare and present to con-
grcss the memorial Of the convention.
II may be that the United States will
not cndeavor to either build the rcscr-
vors or retain these desert lands for i'm
| Erovement by itself. The expense would
be in the aggrc gate so very great that the
national government may not assume It.
and the reservoirs. canals and bitches
may be transfcrrcd, so far as already
located by the United States, to the states
and territories, and those yet to be located
will be put under local legislation and
control. ...@.-
The secretary reviews the recommend
atoms made in previous reports aud
deems the subject one of such great and
pressing importance that congress should
be advised to enact without delay com
| prchensive laws. determining the national
policy upon this subject.
In reference to the act Of March 8
1891, regarding the cutting of timber on
the public domain, the report says: Tht
act makes it lawful, subject to the rules
of the secretary, to cut public timber in
the states and territories named for SC
many and such general purposes that tho
only restraint imposed is that which til.
secretary may see fit to enforce. No one
could cut timber for any purpose not te
be described by some one of the word;
uscd agricultural, mining, manufactur
ing or domestic" unless it were in mere
wantonness. There is no limit as to the
time when the timber or lumber made
from it is to be so used, and it may easily
be cut within the law and stored for sale
for it is not provided even that it shall be
for use by the person cutting it.
The law itself gives every license TO
Telling the forests, and even amcndmcn
only authorizes restraint to be exercised
by the secretary of the interior. EXpe
riencc has shown that it is very dlflicnl
to preserve the public timber under law
providing direct penalties for trcspasses
and it cannot be doubted punishment vii
be much less certain for violations of de
partmcntal regulations. Besides this, tn
statute imposes much more upon the es
ecutive officer than he should be require
to assume. Already the applications fo
permits are so numerous as to have de
manded 4 special force in the genert
land office to attend to them, and as pee
pie learn the value Of these privilege
the pressure for them will constant
increase until, unless the law is repeale
). or modified, there will he little timbc
left to protect.
During the last year 2,143,090.TS acre
= of public lands were disposed Of by cas-
1t sales; S,214, 1409' by miscellaneous cl
tries, and 120, 0,4GS.61 acres Of Indian land
aggregating 10,477,700.3 acres. The tot
cash receipts from various sources *
the year amounted to S5,420, ,220.l4.
The number of agricultural paten
issued during the year were 114,3O
which, allowing 100 acres to each paten
would embrace an aggrcg gate of ls,297 81
acres.
There were patented for the benefit
railroad companies under congression
grants during the year 3,0SS,G79.23 acre
During the fiscal year ending June 8
1891, an area of 40S, 127.55 acres was pa
ented to the states under the swamp lar
act, an increase of 9S,775.6G acres ov
%. the fiscal year last preceding.
= The approx lis during the year nnd
the different grants to the several stat