The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-12-06
HoKE SMITHS WORK.
Recommendations Regarding Public
Lands. Pensions md potorts


The report Of the secretary of the III
terror exhibits the situation of the numer-
Gus and interesting branches of the public
service connected with his department. I
commend this report and the valuable rec
concentrations of the secretary to the care
ful attention of the congress.
The public land disposed of during the
year amounts mo- to 10. 408 100:7 acres. includ-
Ing % S76,O5 of Indian lands. 1t Is estimat-
ed that the public domain still remaining
amounts to little more than GOO, 600 coo
acres excluding, however, about 800, 600 900
acres In Alaska as well "a military reserva-
lions and railroad and other selections Of
lands yet unad1udicated,
The total cash receipts from the sale of
lands amounted to 74,2S5.T9, including
$01, 9S1.OS received from the sale of Indian
lands.
Thirty-five thousand patents were issued
for agricultural lands and one hundred pa
tents were issued to Indians on allotments
OF their holdings In severalty, the land so al.
loted being III lienable by the Indian al
lottees for period of twenty-five years af-
ter patent.
There were certified and patented on ac
count of railroad and wagon grants during
the year S65, 10 acres of land and at the
close OF the year %, 1000, 600 We're embraced
in the lists of selections made by railroads
and wagon companies and awaited settle
ment.
Public Lands.
The selections of swamp lands and that
taken as Indemnity therefor, since the pas
sage of the act providing for the same In
1S49 amount to nearly or quite SO, 5O0, 0OO
acres, of which $4,000, 600 have been patent
ed to states. About $4,000 acres were pa
tented during the last year. Nearly $40 600
acres of school and education grants were
approved during the year. and at It's close
1,2o0, 36SSl acres remained unadjusted.
1t appears that the appropriation for the
current year on account Of special service
for the protection OF the public lands and
the timber thereon Is much less than those
Tor previous years and inadequate for an ef-
heient performance of the work. A larger
sum of money than has been appropriated
during a number of years past on this ac-
count has been returned to the government
as a result Of the labors of those employ
ed In the particular service mentioned and
hope 1t will not be crippled by insufficient
approximation.
1 fully endorse the Recommendation of the
secretary that adequate rejection be pro-
vided for our forest reserves and that COM
prehensive forestry system be inaugurated.
Such keepers and superintendent as are
necessary to protect the forest already re-
served should be provided. / am of the
opinion that there should be an abandon
ment of the policy sanctioned by present
laws under which the government for
very small consideration Is rapidly losing
title to immense tracts OF land covered with
timber which should be properly reserved
as permanent sources of timber supply.
The suggestion that a change be made In
the manner Of securing surveys Of the pub
lie lands is especially worthy OF considera-
ton. am satisfied that these surveys
should be made by O corps of competent
surveyors under the immediate control and
direction Of the commissioners Of the general
land QtRce,