Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-19
SECRETARY or THE INTERIOR
Makes Ne Annual Report Many Matters d
Great Interest 10 All.

Makes Me Annual Rspsrt- many Matters d
Great Interest y AL.
washington, Nov. 1S.-The report Of the
secretary or the interior recommends that
for the civil service commission separate
appropriations be made by Congress for
the needs OF the commission to be ex-
pended in every respect under Its own SUI
pervisdon.
The report shows that s2,OS7 patents
were issued for agricultural lands dis
posed of, decrease OF 2l03; 80 coal pa
tents, a decrease OF %; loss mineral and
mill-slte patents, a decrease OF 391.
< Surveys were accepted during the fiscal
full comparison of the surveying returns.
and inspection of the pats and field notes,
covering 9,222SO1 acres.
Three hundred and seventy cases of
dspredations upon public timber, involv-
ing pubic timber and the products there
from to the value of $685.. 064. Is. recover
able to the government were reported.
The amount involved in propositions of
settlement accepted and compromises ef-
fected under section 3469. Revised Stat
utes, and sales of timber and lumber, is
So. 990.S1, and the amount involved in
fines imposed and judgments rendered is
$73, 54S.9S.
There We're pending in the courts las CIV
IL SUITS lOT tifS recovery VI d lotdl dliioulpt
of 3129, 2l3.21 for the value of timber al
legged to have been unlawfully cut from
public lands. and 305 criminal prosecu-
tons for the act of cutting or removing
timber in violations of law.
The lack of a sufficient force of special
agents to properly investigate the large
number of timber trespasses committed
each year upon the public lands, and to
prevent, as far as possible. such depreda-
tons, continues to be a source OF regret
axyscst ;v,tv mir
reservations, embracing lands having an
estimatesl area of $3.50, $50 acres, which
from time TO time have been set aside by
presidential proclamations. The act of
March s. 1891 which authorized the Pres
iGeid to create reservations, contained no
provision for their protection or care. The
Importance of supplying such deficiency
was repeatedly brought to the attention
of Congress, and as a result the act of
June l. 1897. was passed authorizing the
secretary of tine interior to prescribe such
rules arid regulations and establish such
service as would insure the objects for
which the reservations were created. The
rules ard regulations authorized by this
act were accordingly prepared for my APP
prevail, after mature consideration, by the
commissioner of the general land office.
and promulgated June 30. 1897 proper
means being adopted to bring them to the
attention of the pubic.
1t was my intention originally, says
reau in this department.. but the made
quacy of the appropriation for the work
preciuded my carrying into effect such
plan. l have, however. taken such ac-
ton as the circumstances permitted. and
since July l. 1891 have appointed special
forest agents and supervisors to patrol
the reserves and to enforce the regula-
tons.
The force of agents. supervisors, and
ASSISTANTS, 1t is needless to say, is INSULT
pfnt-.
forest reserves, and a material increase
thereof will have to be made by Congress
in order that the department may salts
;actorily fuinil the requirements Of the
law. 1t is in the interest OF economy and
a wise policy to increase the force to
make it effective. trained corps of
from fifty to sixty forest agents. super
visors. patrolmen, and assistants. judic-
iously distributed, can be made the means
Of preserving millions of dollars worth
of public timber annually from spOilation
by trespassers and destruction by fire. at
relatively slight cost to the government.
aside from the Importance OF the forest
reservations to future generations.
Attention is directed to the following
laws relating to the public forests which
require amendment. to wit:
Section 2461, Revised Statutes. which
provides a penalty for the cutting or de-
struction of live oak or red cedar. or 9TH
er timber on the public lands Is open TO
for the punishment of offenses to which
1t relates; it fa..s to discriminate clearly
and justly as to what constitutes
crime with respect to the use of public
timber. AS this law Is the principal Pc
nal statute upon which the land depart
ment has to rely to check the waste and
destruction of public timber it's failure to
meet the ends desired Is a serious mat
ter, and legislation more in accord with
the needs of the times should be secured.
sjal rfln<rx 4nv,k1 Nvv
of June s, 1872 az Stat. L.. 1897, to the
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Com
pany to take timber from public lands for
the purposes of repair on a portion of
it's line continues and should be repealed.
The two acts of June 3, 1878. Mineral
Act" GO Stat. L., So and Timber and
Stone Act" go Stat. L.. so. practically
threw into the market all the timber on
the greater portion of the public lands
west of the Mississippi river. The calam-
itous results predicted and anticipated by
the land department from the passage of
these acts have been fully verified and
realized since, and material modifica tons
of them should be made.
The Permit act of March g. 1891 (26
Stat. L.. 1889. was in territorial sense
more far reaching than any of IT'S pre-
decessors. This act Is defective in al
lowing free use of timber: 1T is unjust
since it allows holders of permits to COM
pete on a free basis with parties who
have acquired timber by purchase or 9TH
erwise. and grants exceptional privileges
TO residents of states and territories
named therein. When enacted, the per-
nit policy no doubt seemed wise and nee
essary but experience has since demon
strated II to be vicious. and the repeal of
| the act as we'll as the extending act of
February 10, 1893 CT Stat. L.. 44D. or legis-
lation to restrict permits, is urged. Few
people realize the vast amount of public
timber taken from public lands annually
and its great value. The amount of tres
pass yearly reported added to the value of
timber taken under guiss of law reaches
millions of dollars. The general trend of
timber legislation for fifty years has been
| in the direction of making vast donations
| of timber. which has been taken advan-
| tage of by powerful and INSCRIPTIONS or
| CARNATIONS in amassing fortunes for in
| diviCuals and corporations.
| No mirfng claims from the Upper Yu-
kon mining district of Alaska have yet
been received, but numerous inquiries
from interested parties indicate that
many locations under the mining laws
are being made. 1t would be matter
Of great hardship for these claimants to
be required to file their claims at the To-
cal land Office at Sftlca many hundreds of
miles away, and another land district en-
bracing that part of Alaska should be
| provided at an early day. Section OF
| the act apnrOved .Iulv "a 1907 ann horiye.;