Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-10-30
VACANT PUBLIC LANDS.

| deuerhi DiuRer aorudu, Cou uilseioueI
of the land office, has submitted his an
nual report to the secretary of the in
terror, and some interesting stateme ments
are contained IN the document.
There ia still vacant public land in 25
states and territories and Alaska, amount
ing to approximately 972,Sl0,S29 acres.
The list is headed with Alaska, contain
ing 1853, 9,529 600 acres, while Mississippi
contains 441, ,220 acres of vacant public
lands. These figures do not include the
vacant lands embraced in military, tim
Der, and Indian reservations, reservoir
sites tracts, covered by selections, filings,
railroad grants and other entries.
The receipts from disposal of public
lands amounted to $1,596,716. There
were 32,oS7 agricultural patents issued,
approximating 5,133,920 acres. There
were patented or certified with the effect
of patentipg for the benefit of railroad
companies, under congressional grants
5,l0l,950 acres, a decrease of over 10000
600 acres from the previous year.
The report shows decrease in original
homestead entries of 3,24S, aggregating
37S,365 acres, but there is nothing strange
in this, since the really desirable agri-
cultural lands have been virtually taken
up. The acres sold for cash reached 49,
052 acres, while the miscellaneous entries
footed up to nearly 100000 acres. In
the reclamation of arid lands the report
calls attention to the necessity for fur
ther legislative enactments which will
tend to make secure the capital invested
in these lands. Owing to the recent finan-
cial depression, especially felt in the arid
land region, hut com parativsly little ad-
vsncemeut has been made toward reclama-
tioD, but now, the report says, with the re-
vival of industries generally and the more
ready supply of money for investment
purposes, there also has been revival of
the former interest in this subject.
The mining industry reached it's lowest
point during the past year, but is now on
the increase. 10 view of the expected
filing of many locations incident to the
opening up of the upper Yukon district,
the commissioner favors the establish
ment of another land district in Alaska.
Noting the fact that numerous mining
syndicates are already in the field, COM
peting for title to the many individual To-
cations made on the rich mineral discov-
cries in Alaska, it is recommended that
the law be so amended as Co prohibit the
including of more than one lode claim or
more than 100 acres Of placer ground in
a single application Or entry.
There we're $40 cases of depredations
on public timber reported, involving a
value of $635,O64, recoverable to the gov
ernment. Nearly 800 permits have been
issued to cut public timber since the pas
sage of the permit law, with an estimated
amount of timber thus allowed to be cot
of 3oO,oO0,OOO feet. Commissioners Her
man says:
"I.arge corporations and companies
have secured permits at different times to
cut many millions of feet, notably the Big
Blackfoot Milling company, Bitter Root
Development company and Anaconda
Mining company, all of Montana. Since
my induction have refused to allow any
license or use to exceed one-quarter sec-
lion, and any further quantity IS upon
showing of the real necessity.
"At the present timber dealers yearly
weep vast quantities of timber from the
onblic lands in the interests of specula-
ions, without paying 81 to the govern
nent, and CONGREGATIONS rage through
he public forests without government
fort to check destruction. The timber
oss yearly from these sources conserva-
lively runs up into the millions of dollars.
Z is practicable to protect and ad-
minister the forests upon the public do
main without provision for the maiIten-
noe of full local force to supervise the
imbered lands and execute these laws"
Among his recommendations he includes
rompt action by congress to terminate
he suspension of Arkansas land claims;
change in the course uf proceedings for
he ad ustment of mineral land titles, IN odi.
catlon of the law i'm posing penalties for
epredstions on public timber and ample
appropriations Tor protecting and ad-
,inistering existing and prospective for.
st reservations.