Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-29


He commends the peaceful course Of the
Indians under circumstances so extremely
aggravating on the part of the whites.
Land ONCE.
Referring to the work of the general land
office the Secretary says:
Il recommend the creation of board of
three principal examiners in the Office of
the commissioner. to whom. under his d.
rection, may be referred for final decision,
50 far as the decision of the land office is
final, such class of cases as the commits
s!Cner may deem advisable The commits
soner and the assistant commissioner
should be allowed practically all of their
time for the supervision of the vast bust
ness Entrusted to their charge. and they
should not be expected to perform the
amount of judicial labor which now over
burdens Them
Considerable space is devoted in the report
TO the subject of arid lands and irriga ton,
and the Secretary recommends the disposal
of reservoir sites to the states.
Taking up the subject of the preservatio
OF the forests. the Secretary says:
The subjects of irrigation and the pres
ervat1on of the forests go hand in hand,
especially the preservation of the timber
upon the forest reservations There have
been reserved from settlement under the
act of March 3. 1891, 17,OO9,OOO acres of
land as forest reserves. The object of these
reservations Is to preserve the forests them
selves for future use. and through the pres
ervation of the forests to protect and re-
serve the supply OF water so that it may be
stored and utilized for irrigation. These
forest reserves protect the head waters of
many of the streams used for irrigation. If
the depredationS upon them continue at the
present rate. they will in few years be
entirely denuded of their timber and will
thus leave the lands surrounding the head
waters of irrigating streams subject to the
RI 81 tha t,yt,
through floods at an early season of the
year and the loss of benefit to the agricul-
tural lands when the water is needed later
If. however. the timber lands are protected
and kept intact. the melting of the snow
will be gradual, floods will be prevented.
and a flow will be maintained until late i'll
the spring. '
THE present force of the general land
office is Inadequate to protect the reserva-
TONS There are but thirty specia! agents
to protect the timber upon the public do
main, to examine swamp lands. and to In
vestigate fraudulent land entries-a force
from which it would be impossible to detail
men to watch the forest reservations. I'm
less some plan is devised by Congress for
the protection of the forests. either by the
army or by foreSterS and assistants living
upon the reservations 1t Is manifest that
the object sought TO be accomplished will
utterly fail. The system of timber permits
is vicious. in that 1t provides no adequate
compensat ton 10 the government FOR the
timber taken; 1t is destructive to the forest
and to its floor and regrowth. and its legti-
mate object-the supply Of the market to
which the local forest should be only tribu-
tary-ls not attained. 1t should be abolish
ed, and in it's stead there should be such a
rational system of timber cutting under
competent supervision as will most enectu-
ally conduce to natural reforestation and
the reSupply in the shortest possible time
of the growth removed. Under such super
vision much timber might be taken without
injury. even from the existing reservations.
Or. better still, the whole of the public
Ia nds which are valuable chiefly for timber
might be reserved, and a forestry system
applied to the entire area. Such system
must necessarily be accompanied by proper
legislation for protection against fire and
depreciation
New Legislation Asked.
The Secretary submits the recommended
tions of the commissioner of the general
lard office as follows:
That a law be enacted for the compulsory
attendance Of witnesses at hearings in con-
tests before the district land Offices; that at
least $50,OOO be appropriated to be expended
annually for making examinations neces-
sary for establishing forest reservations
and for the protection of such reservations
already existing: for the purposes of the
special-service division of the Office he
re oommends that an appropriation be made
for at least six attorneys to supervise and
direct the proceedings of the special agents
mated; for legislation relative to the public
timber; that Congress make adequate ap-
preparations TO secure the surveying of the
public lands through the geological sur
vey: that a law be enacted creating the
office of surveyor general of Alaska; for the
establishment of a district land Office for
Alaska, with register and receiver, hav
ing like duties and emoluments with such
officers in other land districts; that ap-
preparation of $4,000 per year be made, and
continued for such time as is necessary, for
the employment of eighty copyists for
transcribing the press-copy records of the
office into permanent record books: that ap-
preparations for surveys of public lands be
made continuous, and for the appointment
of board of examiners of surveys.
The Pension Office.
The Secretary submits an estimate of
s15O,O00,O0O to pay pensions for the next
fiscal year and recommends the construc-
ton Of an electric light plant for the pen
sion bureau. together with water filter.
Patent Law Reforms.
The Secretary is gratified at the change
Of the rules of procedure in the patent
office and says:
Sufficient time has not elapsed to Judge
of the full effect of these rules upon the
practice, but there Is little doubt that
they have accelerated the prosecution of
cases and enabled the office to dispose Of
It's business with greater expedition. 1t IL
a manifest evil that an applicant should
be able to keep his case pending in the
office for an indefinite time without for
feiting his rights against the public, fin
ally taking out patent for an invention
which has been in public use perhaps for
years. There is practical unanimity of
opinion that the period of permissible in
action on the part of an applicant should
be shortened to the period of six months,
and such was the unanimous report of the
special committee on amendment of the
patent laws of the American Bar Associa-
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