The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-09-26
PUBLIC LANDS.
Annual Report of the Operations Of The
General Land Office.

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 1S86-S7 was A, 443
against total of 231, ,667 during the years
1S90-91, an increase of 1S7. 164 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, ,090 acres, Of miscellaneous
entries (uot cash) 5,040, 1893 acres were home
steaded, and 969, coo acres entered under the
tim mber-culture law. The railroad selections
amounted to ,367, ,572 acres the State seec-
tions to 174404 acres, the Indian allOtments
to III. .4S5 acres. and the original swamp Sc
lections to %. 167 acres.
The total cash receipts during the year
were So, 429, 800. The filings during the year
were 20,241. The final entries during the
year were 81 934, representing an acreage OF
7,359,9O5. The original entries the same
time were $3.50, aggregating 6,409, 632 acres.
Ine decrease IN entries for the year was
1861, representing an acreage OF 1856, $50.
The patents to land-grant railroads during
the year were 30,0SS, $50 acres, an increase
over the previous year of 2,724Sl7. Surveys
were accepted during the year to the amount
OF S,096,904 acres. The vacant public lands
in the States and Territories are 579 663, ,6S3
acres. Commissioner Carter makes strong
plea for the irrigation of arid lands.
The approvalS during the year under the
different grants to the States for educa-
tional purposes and under the Saline grant,
having the effect of q patent. embraced an
area OF 1855, 172 acres OF this amount Ne
yada received apprOvas for 4fS,S6f acres
Oregon 91,343 and Idaho 10000. At the
close of the fiscal year there were found to
be S3,05S final entries pending In the office,
against 20S,064 at the close of the previous
fiscal year. Railroad selections amounting
to %, S46.5T acres were pending on July i,
1891, which is decrease OF 93O,0I6 as COM
pared with the last preceding fiscal year.
The following shows the vacant public
lands in acres in the several public land
States and Territories: Arizona, 55,06l, COS;
California. 80, 299, 400; Idaho, %. ISL S51;
Montana. 1892, 1859; Nevada, 53,6S9, 524;
Oregon, 80, go, 15l; Utah. 81. 42S. .0S7: Wash
ingt1n, 20,49l. 69l, and Wyoming, 80, 81, ,434.
COmml ssiOner Carter protests that the I'M
satisfactory experience following the grant
ing of swamp lands to the States canEot
properly be urged against the plan proposed
for a settlement of the arid lands question,
and then says: "While the swamp land
grant States may have been Indifferent aud
unwise in dealing with the grant, which was
but mere incidental matter, the desert
land grant States could not afford to thus
deal with this question of vital Importance,
Indifference would court adversity, and
reckleisneSs would bring ruin. Nhen
proposition OF this gravity Is submitted to
any organized body of American citizens
directly interested in its wise consideration
and solution they will consider wisely and
act we'll"
CENSUS OF SEED FARMS.
The Census Bureau has Just published the
statistics on the subject of horticulture and
seed farms, from which the following fig
ures relating to the Pacific Coast are taken:
Number of seed fGrms-WaShingtO 2,
Oregon II, California 10; acres OF land IN
farms-Washington $50, Oregon 269, Cali
fOrnia 64l5; value of land per acre-Wash-
ington 500, Oregon $40, California S2S7 30;
value of implements - Washington 500,
Oregon $780, California S15,993 rs; total
value of farms, implements and buildings
Washington $4,000, Oregon $50, ,5SS, Cali
fornia S1,S53. 290 81.
WILL NOT RESIGN.
Congressman Herbert Of Alabama has
announced his withdrawal from the contest
for place on the Interstate Commerce
Commission. His friends are afraid the
Farmers Alliance might capture his seat
in the House in the event of his appoint
ment as Commissioner.
POSTMASTERS APPOINTED.
The following California Postmasters
have been appointed: Bonneville, Mendocino
County, G. +. Brown, vice E. c. Berger, re-
moved; TayIorville, Plumas County, J. G.
Young, vice Z. Goldman, resigned.