Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-08-11
THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.

shot at his Predecessors Work OF tho
once.
WAsmNoToy, Aug 0---The annual
report to the secretary of tho interior
of the operations OF the general land
office for the fiscal year ended June 80,
1892, was made public to-day A care
full reading Of this report says Commis-
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 bcnchccnt
results,
felt justified n predicting Ia my annual re-
port OF last year that with the force then at
command the business OF this bureau would DO
Drought up abreast With the current work by
the end Of the fiscal year just closed Il e
gratifying to me now 70 bo able to report TO
yeu that literal fuhilment OF that prediction
has been fully consummatod IN order that
The magnitude OF the work done during the last
fiscal year may readily be comprchcndcd anu
the results accomplished fully appreciated |
feel warranted IN referring 10 and discussing
briefly the policy that governed and controlled
the business OF this Office under the last ndmin-
islratiOn from 1885 TO $50
Commissioner Sparks, In hia annual report
for the fiscal yeur ending juno 30, 1885, said;
"At the outset OF my administration was con
fronted with the overwhelming evidence that
the public domain WIS being made prey Of un-
scrupul0us speculation AMI tho worst forms Of
land monopoly through systematic fraud car
ricd on and contaminated under public land
laws" "
He further stated IN the same report IN dis
cussng the subject Of commuted homestoads,
that the proportion Of fraudulent entries
Of this kind could be more nearly esti-
mated at the whole number Of such en-
tries than IN any other manners that
tho average proportion Of fraudulent pro-
emption filings 10 the total number Of nlings
made aud relinquished should be cstt
mated IN round numbers az exactly 100 per
cent and that % per cent 0f AN timber culture
entries were fraudulent Having become wrong
fully imbued with the idea that nearly an, orat
least very large proportion OF entries made
upon the public domain were fraudulent aud
that the great body Of wei disposed settlers
were unscrupulous spectators. IL Is not sur
prising that Commissioner SPARKS on April 3,
1885 issued an order suspcndiug action on all
entries except on certain scrip locations and
on private cash cntriesl in The whole OF Colo
RADIO. except the Ute reservation and in an Of
Dakota Idaho. Utah, Washington. New Mex
leo Montana Wyoming and portions Of Kan
sas. Nebraska and Minnesota
The detrimental effect OF thig AMI other
similar sweeping orders. and OF the mistaken
impression and policy which prompted them,
upon the business Of this Office WAS very
great and as a consequence this admlnstra-
ton, on assuming the reins OF government IN
1852, was confronted by o land olice greatly
demoralized in al its ramincltioas Unjust
ice or dcniai of justice under The machinery
OF the law was its dominant feature The
settler who had honestly aud laboriously und
at much hazard and heavy expense complied
iu good faith with all the requirements o. the
laws, outraged and inljgnnntat The muluplcx
injuries inflicted on him by maladmnstrat,ou.
demanded patent title to the land he had
by settlement cultivation and compliance with
the law fully earned Thus by reason of this
'rroncOus md mistaken policy the legitimate
hannols OF business Ia this office had become
clogVci and by reason OF wrongful delay q vast
amount Of work had accumulated. there being
al the close OF the fiscal year ending June 20,
1883 351953 entries Of al iinds pending or
awaiting cons Liberation. Under these cirCum-
stances % change OF policy was deemed ncces'
sary Hence. shortly after March :. 1870 new
administrative policy based ol liberal aud
enlightened Interpretation OF the pubic land
laws, was adopted by you ana has been CON
tinued during the intervening fiscal years
Under this new policy settlers are presumed
TO be honest and wcll disposed toward the
been expedited with marked bcncnceui results.
On March g. 1891 law was passed. entitled
AN net to repeal the timber culture law and
for other purposcs' IA which congress mani
tested IT'S approval Of the new policy Under
and by virtue OF section OF th4t law large
numbers " cases long suspended on the mcrcst
suspicion ot fraud or undcr harsh technical rul-
ings, have been andarc being passed 20 patcnt in
a manncr which. while greatly facilitating brsi-
ness, also supplies amplo safeguards ugaiusi
all possible fraud
In virtue Of this marked end beneficial
d tr
islation mentioned the largo numher OF ae- !
tcd entric8 above stated. fosethcr win
an addition Of 8isOlG entries, received since
the present policy was inuue',r1tcd, had on /
June 81, lsl2, becncarc considered and prop
cr action ilkeu thercoa.
Comparative tables accompanying the |
report show an excess during the four /
fiscal years ended june 30, isQ2, over 1
the four years ended June 80, lSss, in /
the number of acreage of agricultural +
patents issued of nearly l4j per cent, /
substantially clearing the docket and 1
leaving the Office on July I, 1892, vir- I
tuallv free TO attend To current business /
as it arises. As TO mineral and coal I
patents. the report show ..=s ,.;,,,a75, +
under "a similar comparison, in the /
of mineral patents issued, of /
9s per cent, and in the number Of coal /
patents issued of pa per cent, /
clearing the mineral and coal .
docScts and passing 20 the peo-
pie and states and nation millions OF .
permanent wealth. During the period +
from 1850 TO 1892 there were s, 425, S95 /
acres of the public domain surveyed as
against s,7l5.3 during the preceding /
four years During the last fiscal year
the cash sales according to the report [
aggregated ,57l, ,41s acres, the principal .
item of which was oi3. 59s acres which .
were entered under the prc-emption
law The total acreage disposed of
during the year was l3,G64,oi0 Three
thousand two hundred and forty-two
mineral site patents were issued during
the year, as against l.70a during the
year 1885,. The report shows that the
vacant public lands in the United States
aggregate 505, sos, 5s3 acres
ENcursionfsts In a ColIfsfoa.