Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-30
WASHINGTON NEWS.
The Secretary Of the lnte-
rior's Annual Report.
Public Lands Transactions Of
the Past Year.
The Transfer of Arid Lands to the
States Advocated.
Enormous Increase of the Pension Roll.
Chief Engineer Melville's Report.
Interesting Railway Stat
istics.
Associated Press Dispatches.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-The annua
report OF Secretary of the Interior Noble
has been transmitted to the president
The report says: not including Alaska
or Indian lands, the vacant lands of the
United States amounted on June 80
1891, to 579,O00,0 900 acres, OF which
294, ,000, 900 are yet unsurveyed. At least
100000, 900 acres of these vacant lands
are useless for agriculture, but l2O, ,0OO,-
600 may be redeemed by irrigation.
The present commissioner of the gen.
eral land office is of the opinion that the
wisest plan would be to transfer
the land and water to the direct con-
troll of the states, subject to such re-
strictions as would insure the reclama-
tion of the land by states, and the trans
fer of title to actual settlers, in quantity
not exceeding 100 acres of land to each
settler, with provisions for forfeiture to
the United States, in case of violation of
the conditions of the grant.
During the year surveys OF 14S reser-
voirs have been made; OF these thirty
three are in California. Connected
with water supply is the necessity of
making reservations from settlement OF
public lands about the heads of streams
that are to make irrigation possible.
The original act allows the president to
reserve any public land bearing forest
as public reservations. 1t is urgently
recommended that congress have reser-
vations that are proclaimed By the pres
ident established as national parks. or
granted to the states to be preserved
unimpaired for the benefit of the public.
During the last year 100000 acres
OF public lands were disposed OF by cash
sales, 100000 by miscellaneous entries
and 100000 acres of Indian lands, ag-
gregating 10,120,000 acres. The total
cash receipts from various sources for
the year amounted to $5.000,0 900. The
number OF agricultural patents
issued during the past year was
la, $3.50; which, allowing 100 acres to
each patent, would embrace an aggre-
gate of 100000 acres. There were
patented for the benefit OF railroad COM
panies, under congressional grants dur
ing the year, 5000, 600 acres.
The vacant public lands Of California,
surveyed and unsurveyed, amount to
over $4,000, 900 acres.
Referring to the examination as to
the management of Yosemite valley,
now under control OF California, the
secretary says: "It was not contem-
plated that the valley should be
turned into farm or stock ranch. Rents
were to be merely an incident to the
main purpose of preserving the park"
If this be true, the construction of the
statute has been misinterpreted by the
management.
Further examination into the matter
is recommended.
In the case OF the Kaweah colonists,
claiming certain lands within the limits
of a reservation for a national park in
final entries OF any of said land
prior to the executive withdrawal of
legislative reservation, should be
recognized as valid until duly cancelled
by the land department; second, that
parties who have not made entries of
said land, but have merely made filings
thereon and are cutting timber there
from, should be considered trespass-
ers and removed from the reservation,
and, third. that homesteaders who have
not made final entries, and are cutting
timber for the purpose of sale, and not
for the purpose of clearing the land for
cultivation, should be restrained by
judicial action.
Referring to the payment OF pensions,
the secretary says: 1.-The sums of money
thus expended from the national treas
ury have been indeed large, but this has
not interiered with the liberal ad-
ministration of the government in all
other directions, while the obligation
of the nation to its defenders, long
acknowledged, has been in part and
will be under this act fully met. There
were on June 80, 1891, 676, ,160 pension
ers borne upon the rolls, l3S, ,2a6 more
than were carried on the rolls at the
close OF the last fiscal year."