The Red Cloud chief., 1897-10-29
JOUR PUBLIC LANDS
REPORT OF COMMISSIONER
HERMANN.
Kansas Has i.O4G.5sg Acres and Missouri
495.6Di- Recommendation Regarding
Arid Lsnds--Abuse Of Timber Privilege
Mining Declining.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 81. In his annual
report Binger Hermann, commissioner
Of the general land office, reports a
decrease Of 3, POS original homestead
entries, aggregating 37s,G?j acres. In
the entire disposal of public land
there was a falling off Of 1870, 4Os
,crcs. The areas sold for cash reached
ilD.Oj2 acres and miscellaneous en-
ries aggregated 7,33i,5ji acres The
cceipts from disposal Of public lands
mounted TO ~, 500, $50 and from dis.
)osal OF Indian lands to S43s. lid.
There were 3?,Gs7 agricultural patents
issued. approxinating j,l33.920 acres.
There were patented or certified with
the effect of p~atent.ng for the benefit
Of railroad companies, under Congress.
s.onal grants, 5.IOl 300 acres. a de.
crease of owe 10, 900. 900 acres from the
previous year
An approximate estimate OF
number of acres of vacant public landa
IN the several states and territories at
the close OF the fiscal year is AS fol-
lows: Alabama i3., 3io. Arizona "a, 400
III, Arkansas 3,o?". Oia. California, 49,.
Sal ,04A. Colorado 40. OJ., POI, Florida
l,707, &c., Idaho -, 962, s5j, Kansas
i.0I6, $50, Louisiana s4j, o?O, Michigan
j::, 43l, Minnesota 6,240, 500. Missis-
sippi AL .2O. Missouri IqI, 'j94, Mon.
tana .i,43?,9i7, Nebraska 10, 500, 35J,
Nevada jl,57s,5s6. New Mexico So.
Js3, 047, North Dakota II, 3s5. ag3. okla
homa s,iO5,:as Oregon b, s9a, as,
south Dakota 10, $50. us, Utah ~, 2O5,-
go, Washington l7,9is,j3s, Wisconsin
i54, l07, Wyoming 40, 34l, 5ss, Alaska
$50, 500. 600. These figures do not in.
cludc the vacant land in military,
timber and Indian reservations,
reservoir sites. tracts covered by Sc.
lections, filings. railroad grants, etc.
The report calls attention to the
necessity for Legislative enactment,
either original or anenoatory of the
Carey net, which should tend to make
secure the capital invested in the re-
clamation of the arid lands. Owing
to the recent financial depression. es-
pecially felt in the arid land states,
comparatively little advancement has
been made toward reclamation, but
with the revival of industries gehcr-
ally and the more ready supply of
money for Investment purposes there
also has been n revival Of the former
interest in this subject.
Thu mining industry reached it's
lowest point during the past year,
but is now on the increase. In view
of the expected fling OF many loca-
tions incident to the opening up of the
upper Yukon district the commissioner
favors tho establishment Of another
land district In Alaska. Noting the
fact that numerous mining syudicates
are already in the field, competing for
title to the many individual locations
on the rich mineral discoveries in
Alaska, it is recommended that the
law bc So amended As to prohibit the
including Of more than one lode claim
or more than 100 acres Of placer
ground in - single application or
sntry.
There were go cases of depreda.
tons on public timber reported in
volving $685., oeA, recoverable to the
government. Nearly 300 permits have
UteH lsSutu ~ CuI BuDLic tlIiDtT Sl1Cc
the passage of tho permit law, with
an established estimated mount of
timber thus allowed to be cut of 300,
900, 600 feet. Commissioner Hermann
says; Large corporations and com
panies have secured permits at differ
cnt times to cut many millions of feet,
notably the Big Blackfoot Milling
company, Bitter Root Developing
company and the Anaconda Mining
company, all of Montana. Since my
induction ! have refused TO allow any
license issued to use to exceed one
quarter section, and any further guam
! tity upon showing Of tho real neces'
sity. At the present, timber dealers
yearly sweep vast quantities Of timber
from the public lands in the interest
of speculations without paying a dol
lar to the government, and conflagra
tions a & through the public forest.
without government effort to checl
! destruction. The timber loss yearl,
a.; from these sources conservatively run
| up into the millions of dollars. IL /
impracticable to protect and admins
ter tho forests upon the public domain
without provision for the maintenance,
OF "a full local force to supervise tn,
timpered lands and execute thes