The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-27
THE KAWEAH COLONY.
Land Commissioner GrOf'S Report on
The Rights Of the Settlers.

WASHINGTON, Feb. GA very important
document from Land Commissioner Croft
concerning the kaweah Colony of Califor-
mia is on its way to the Secretary of the In
terror. In it the Commissioner holds that
the colonists should not be deprived fthe
lands they now occupy, but they should be
allowed to comply with the law under which
they made settlement and acquire title TO
the lands they have located upon. The
Commissioner reviews at length the claims
of the cooperative colony and maintains
that in filing timb'r-land applications on
land in the Sequoia National Park Reserva-
ton. under the act of June 3, 1878, they have
complied faithfully with the law by which
said lands were to be owned by private in
diVidualS. He alleges that his special agents
have given the matter special attention, and
| he has been supplied with reliable evidence
| from which to arrive at his conclusions.
Concerning the report that the colonlsts
| have been committing timber trespaSS up
| lands in the reservation, the Commissioner
T9n9TtS nnop @ as follows: II place little eredence
OF the kaWeah Colony or any other persons
are cutting down and removing the giant
trees from these lands or otherwise damag-
ing or destroying them. The parties who
write the articles probably have never
visited the lands nor been within a hundred
miles of them. and consequently can have
no actual knowledge of the common pre-
SUMPTION which they boldly record as
fact"
The Commissioner says it is doubtless
true that the cOlUniSts have cut down small
trees on public lauds for their own use, but
certainly they have not disturbed any giant
trees, as they could not be handled by the
| ordinary methods known to the colony
The Commissioner accepts as authority the
report of Special Agent B. +. Allen, who
says that the purpose of the colouiSts Is of
q lawful and laudable nature, and that iu-
lgF, a st,rt l.
the giant trees, they have expended about
100000 in improvements and adding 10 their
value and have guarded the giant trees for
five years, saving them from damage and
possible destruction from fires.
In his judgment IL would be in line of pre-
serving the trees TO allow the colonists to re.
main. He can see no reason for further de-
partmental interference in the matter, and
recommends official action of this kind to
Secretary Noble. Again quoting the Commis-
sloner: The suspension from entries and
filings was based on the suppoSition of fraud
or the irregularity of the surveys. In five
years no evidence has been found 10 estab-
lish good reason for ordering such SuSpen-
siCn; and furthermore, the filings were made
prior to any order OF suspension from the
Commissioner, and l 10 not doubt from an
accepted principal" As evidence OF the
good standing of the colOnists, the Commis-
siOner cites atfidavits of the officers of Tulare
County.
1t is not known what Secretary No BILE
will do with the recommendation. Some
interesting developments may follow. The
evidence upon which Commi ssioner Croft
implicitly depends is secured by special
agents under Chief of Agents High.
The recommendation will be passed upon
by First Assistant Secretary of the Interior
Chandler, who insists that he has reason to
doubt the reports made by Special Land
Agents where extensive interests are in
volved. In connection with some other
matters his attention has been called to the
legal feature of the question, and it is said
on good authority that he at present is not
inclined to the belief that the coIonists
should be allowed to remain on the reserva-
tiOu