Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-08-11
ANNUAL REPORT.
The Commissioner of the Land Of
zoe Makes His Bow.
he FIRES UP At Mr.. SPARKS.
The Old Commissioner Accused OF Innova-
tions That Demorali1ed EverythinE-
Tho Present Commissioner Ardu-
ously Restores Things.

ousiy Restores Things.
WASHINGTON, Aug. e.-The annual
report TO the secretary of the interior
Of the operations of the general land
office for the fiscal year ended June 80,
1892, was made public to-day. A care
fu' reading Of this report, says Commits
sioner Carter, will demonstrate that the
liberal and just policy towards the set
tiers upon the public domain, adopted
by Secretary Noble at the beginning Of
this administration, has been produc-
tive OF very satisfactory and benoHcent
results.
felt justified in predicting in my annual re-
| port OF last year that with the force then at
command, the business OF this bureau would DO
| brought up abreast with the current work by
the end OF the fiscal year Just closed. II Ia
| gratifying to mo now to be able 10 report TO
| you that literal fulallment Of that prediction
has been fully contaminated In order that
| tho magnitude Of the work done during the last
| fiscal year may readily be oomprehended and
tho results accomplished fully appreciated, I
feel warranted in referring to and discussing
briefly the policy that governed and controlled
the business Of this ONCE under the last admin
istraton from 1895 to 1859.
Commissioner Sparks, In his animal report
for the fiscal year ending June no, 1885, said;
AT tho outset Of my administration was con-
frontcd with the overwhelming evidence that
the public domain was being made proy OF un.
sorupulous speculation and the worst forms Of
land monopoly through systematic fraud car
riod on and contaminated under public land
laws"
He further stated In tho same report In dis
GUESSING the subject OF committed homestoads,
that the proportion OF fraudulent entries
Of this kind could be more nearly est-
mated Vt the whole number OF such en-.
tries than In any other manner; that
tho average proportion Of fraudulent pre-
emption filings 10 the total number OF filings
made aud rclinquished should he esti-
mated In round numbers At exactly 100 per
cent and that 70 por cent OF all timber culture
entries were fraudulent Having become wrong.
fully imbued with the idea that nearly all, orat
least very large proportion, Of entries made
upon tho public domain were fraudulent ana
that tho great body Of we'll disposed settlers
I were INSCRIPTIONS spectators, II is not sur
prlsing that Commissioner Sparks on April a.
1888 isued an order suspendnE action on all
entries except on certain scrip locations and
on private cash entriesl In the whole OF Colo.
RADIO, except 'he Ute reservation aud In oil OF
Dakota, Idaho, Utah, Washington. New Nor
! leo, Montana Wyoming and portions Of Kan
; sas, Nebraska and Minnesota
Tho detrimental eject Of this aud other
similar sweeping orders. and Of the mistaken
impression and policy which prompted them,
, upon tho business OF this ONCE was very
great and as a consequence this admiuistra.
uon, on assuming the relna OF government In
: 1899, was confronted by a land ONCE greatly
domoralizod in all Its qualifications Unjust
loo or q denial OF Justice under tho machinery
\ Of the law was It's dominant feature. Tho
h settler who had honestly aud laboriously and
ut much hazard nnd heavy expense complied
IN good faith with all the requirements Of tho
laws, outraged and indignant at the multpleN
i injuries inflicted on him by maladministration
= demanded patent n title to tho land he had
ny settlement cultivation and compliance with
= tho law fully earned. Thus by reason 81 this
erroneous and mistaken pplicy the legitimate
channels Of business In this ONCE had become
clopgcd and by reason Of wrongful delay n vas,
a amount Of work had accumulated. there being
J. at the close OF the nscal year ending June 40
lss, BA0gSS entries Of all kinds pending OF
awaiting consideration. Under these circum
stances u change OF policy was deemed neces'
It sary. Hence shortly after March T. 1889, anew
u administrative policy, based on Q liberal and
II enlightened Interpretation OF the public land
laws was adopted by you and has been con
y tinued during the intervening fiscal years.
a Under this now policy settlers are presumed
TO be honest and well disposed toward the
7, government and laws and public business has
been expedited with marked bcnencent results
On March 2, 1891 a law was passed entitled
AN act to repeal the timber culture law and
for other purposes" In which congress mani
fostsd its approval Of the new policy Under
= and by virtue Of section Of that law large
numbers Of eases long suspended on the merosi
suspicion OF fraud or under harsh technical ru
ings, have been and arc being passed TO patent In
amnnner which, while greatly facilitating bust
ness, also supplies ample safeguards against
all possible fraud
In virtue of this marked and beneficial
change Of policy and under the favorable leg
islAtion mentioned. the large number Of ac'
~ cumulated entries above stated, together with
~ an addition OF $500 entries, received since
# tho present policy was inaugurated had on
i June 80 1892 been carefully considered and prop
X or action taken thereon,
q Comparative tables accompanying the
N report show un excess during the -four
q fiscal years ended June 30, 1892, over
y the four years ended June &c. 1888, III
II. the number Of acreage Of agricultural
y, patents issued of nearly las per cent,
{, substantially clearing the docket and
g. leaving the office on July 1, 1902, vir'
n tually free to attend TO current business
J. IA II arises. As to mineral and coal
u patents, the report shows an excess
a. under similar comparison, In the
number OF mineral patents issued, oi
0S per cent, and In the number of Goa
patents issued of 224 per cent
4 clearing the mineral and Goa
dockcts and passing TO the pco
pie and states and nation millions Of
permanent wealth. During the periot
from 1850 to 1899 there were &, 495, so
acres of the public domain surveyed a.
=, against ., rs, 1909 during the preceding
four years During the last fiscal yea
,a the cash sales according TO the repor
u. aggregated l,57i ,47s acres, the principa
n item Of which was 0L3T0 acres whicl
IA were entered under the presumption
Y. law. The total acreage disposed q
m during the year was l3,6G4,0l0. Thre,
le thousand two hundred and forty-tw'
~ mineral site patents were issued during
OF the year, as against i,792 during TN
NJ year 1885,. The report shows that tn
ns vacant public lands in the United state
y aggregate 5G7, sos, 7s3 acres
u
". An Irish village with seven cottage
occupied by young women and youn
NJ men, illustrating Irish home life, ~ b'
ing arranged by the countess OF Abe
deem for the worlds fair. Lace maxim
- will be a feature.
lFiut Publl-hcd In tie 'HILrSE WEEK.
REFLECTOR, Aug. Z, ts99,
ROAD NOTICE.
STATE or KANsASl Is.
.op ONCE Of civ Clerk.
we July3Oth. lSI9.
Inn Notice I, Hereby Given:
.,, Tint on Tho 18th day OfJuly isgt apelitl,
Of signed by John lindcr and 10 others was VI