Evening star., 1901-10-12

of this kind the government is defrauded
not only of the original timber which was
on the land, but of the land given in re-
turn for the cession of lot of stumps.
1t Is not uncommon to find, upon in
vestigation, that some of the forest reser-
vations have been issued in response to
find 1T much more profitable to secure
damages from their improvements ard
scrip for their land than to continue their
residence upon the original claim. A de-
mand for a reservation based upon q
scheme of this kind becomes purely po-
litical job, and while the area which has
been yielded to such demands is COM
paratively small, there are a number Of
notorious cases where the government has
been worked effectively through political
influence There are now $4,000, 900 more
acres recommended to the land office for
forest reSryationS and many of those who
are most earnestly in favor of reserving all
of the forest are extremely anxious that
the government should first change it's sys-
tenn of marking out these reservations and
examine very thoroughly into the origin Of
the demand for each additional reserve be-
fore such reserves are set aside
During the year 1900 there were nearly
25OO entries made under the timber and
stone act These entries covered an area
of about 100000 acres, and brought the
government S7o0,000 in cash. The law pro-
vfdeS that this land can be bought by any
citizen in quantities not to exceed 160 acres
and at the rate of $3.50 an acre, If such
Der or stone than 1t is for agricultural
purposes, and Is not available for mineral
exploitation. There does not seem to be
any great need for such a law. 1t is sell
dom used legitmately. for nearly all of the
entries made are for the purpose Of con-
trolling land for some specific purpose and
not for getting timber or for quarrying
stone. In Wyoming a number of stockmen
have used this law to increase their privi-
leges upon the public range. In Colorado
the law has been used by railroad and
other corporations to secure land for in
dustrial enterprises. for small town sites
which the companies desired to control.
These purposes are not necessarily evil
but 1t should not be necessary that the law
be evaded or men commit perjury to work
out a legitimate and admirable enterprise.
Some time ago Senator Wolcott introduced
In Congress p coke-oven bill. which was to
provide some means of securing land near
coal mines which to build coke ovens
and other structures necessary to carry on
the business This bill was never heard Of.
however. since its introduction, and no re-
cent effort has been made to revive It,
New Laws Necessary.
While It is true that Congress has already
apparently exhausted its ingenuity in de-
vising schemes for getting rid Of the public
domain 1t Is equally true that a number Of
new laws could be enacted to the material
advantage and prosperity Of the western
states. There should be some law which
would provide that individuals or corpora
tions could secure the necessary acreage
for Industrial enterprises. The acreage of
such filings would not be large, and each
one OF them, II honestly carried out as q
large percentage Of them would be, would
represent far more good to the state In
which situated than equal area devoted
TO almost any other purpose The present
townsite law Is inadequate to the purpose,
and all Of the other laws contain certain
requirements which make 1t impossible to
take the land honestly and use It even for
the purpose of building plant to cost sew
eral million dollars and employ thousands
OF men. The man who homesteads such q
piece of land for the purpose of selling It
out to the company commits perjury The
man who takes 1t under the placer act the
timber and stone act, the desert land act. or
any or the mineral acts likewise eyades the
moral responsibility placed upon him by the
law and the courts to devote that land to
the purpose alleged in his fling
There are many other inconsistencies In
the present land laws Some could be re-
peaied to the advantage of the states in
which they operate, and nearly all of them
could be amended in such a way as to de-
crease fraud and encourage settlement and
industry. One of the great difficulties met
in the administration of the public lands
lies In the autocratic power of the Secretary
or the Interior The Secretary is the court
OF last resort in all disputed land claims
The probabilities are that the land COM
missioner makes most Of the decisions. but
the responsibility falls entirely upon the
Secretary. Each succeeding Secretary Of
the Interior has had his own ideas in re-
gard to the disposal Of public domain and
the proper Interpretation Of existing laws.