The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-01
SALES OF PUBLIC LAND
OVER $1,000, 600 ACRES DISPOSED OF
LAST FISCAL YEAR.
Commissioner Hermann's Annual Re-
pOrt-Many Important Recon-
mendations Made.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31-The annual re-
General Land Office, says that 1862, 1876
acres of public land were disposed of dur
ing the last fiscal year, an increase of 2,1OS-
9OS over the previous year, which was the
banner year in public land sales. The net
surplus from the entire land and forest ad-
ministration is s3,45S.442.
The report refers to the large number of
prosecutions begun in Idaho and Montana
for perjury and subornatiOn of perjury in
entries of land under the timber and stone
act, which entries, it says. apparently were
made for a speculative purpose and have
become the property of one man. This per-
son. who is not mentioned by name, claims
he purchased the land in good faith and
without knowledge that the entries were
invalid. The commissioner says that If this
is true the cancellation proceedings by the
General Land Office would entail much
hardship. He says, therefore, that the law
should be repealed to protect innocent per-
sons who may invest money in lands to
which the persons shown by the records
to be owners have no lawful title The
land conditions in the new insular posses
sions are discussed in detail.
Following is a summary of the recon-
mendations for legislation: Appointment
of a commission to examine, consider ana
report on the survey and disposal of the
public lands in the insular possessions OF
the United States; forfeiture of lapsed rlgnt
of way grants; discontinuance of the Yukon
and the Circle district land offices in Alas
ka by consolidation with the Sitka office,
at least for the present, as the receipts
mt
peal or modification of the act OF June 10,
1898, to protect homestead settlers who en-
ter the military or naVal service III war
times; compulsory attendance OF Witnesses
at hearings on reports or special land
agents involving the validity OF entries OF
public land; repeal OF several laws relat-
ing to timber on unreserved public lands,
and the enactment of a general law to al
ford a supply of timber for settlers and
other parties in need thereof and at the
same time preserve the forests for the
use of future generations; extension of the
Yellowstone National Park so as to en-
brace the Yellowstone timber land reserve,
comprising 1914 square miles, ali that por-
ton of the Teton forest reserve lying east
of the summit of Teton range, 1850 square
miles, and unreserved areas of thir-
west corner of the park in
Idaho and 260 square miles at the north
west corner in Montana; extension of the
forest-fire act to meet the various causes
of fires and overcome the danger from ev
cry source; modification of the act permit
ting exchange Of lands within forest reser-
VationS for those without by prOVlSO that
the relinquished tract has not been unnec-
essarily changed, that lands shall be of ap-
proximately the same value and rejecting
such selections for land returned agri-
cultural if before approved it is found to
be mineral: withdrawal of all public lands
more valuable for forest uses than for
other purposes from settlement, entry, sale
and other disposition and holding them for
the protection and utilization of their tim
Der; establishment of national parks to
preserve prehistoric ruins, petrified forests,
caves and for other purposes; for appro-
priation of at least $1S5.000 to prevent depre-
dations upon public timber and for protec-
ton of public lands from unlawful entry
or appropriation, and $4,000 to protect tim
Der on unreserved lands against fires; pro-
lection of fish and game in forest reserves;
relief of bona fide settlers within forest re-
serves who settled prior to the establish
ment thereof, but who failed from ignor-
ance or from unavoidable accident to place
their claims on record within the statutory
neriOd