Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-11-27
is Uncle

mGnt, and covers all LDe OpcTdllOH9
of the various branches of the dc
partment during the year.
There were disposed of during the
wear public lands aggregating l9,4S8,-
535.3o acres; classified as follows:
Cash sales, I757, ,592.63 acres; mis-
cellaneous entries, embracing home
steads, land warrants, scrip loca-
sions. state selections, swamp lands,
railroad and wagon road selections,
Indian alotment5, etc, 17,6l4,79
acres. and Indian lands, 11G, 15O.12,
showing an increase of 1925, 739 acres
AS compared with the aggregate dis
posals for the preceding year.
The total area of the public lands
may be stated to be approximately
!. .S09. .539 $40 acres of which S93, ,955,-
476 acres are undspOsed of, Isl, 1G1,.
638 acres have been reserved for vari-
ons purposes and 764, ,422,72G acres
have been appropriated.
Public lands in the southwest are
stated a follows:
Surveyed and unapproprated-Ark-
ansas, 3,OOS,215 acres; Kansas, 979,.
sos acres; Missouri 1863 ,54l; Nebras.
ka, 8,9S0,S57 Oklahoma, 3,7S9,976
The report says:
-"The avowed policy Of the govern
ment to preserve the public domain for
homes for actual settlers has no more
Tmplacable and relentless foe than the
class that seeks to occupy the public
lands for grazing purposes by MAIN
tanning unlawful fences thereon. The
beneficiaries have grown so bold and
arrogant that they practically defy
the efforts of the department and the
government to execute the law.
"There is now pending before con
gress bill to provide for the leasing,
for grazing purposes, of the vacant
public domain. and reserving all
rights of homestead and mineral entry,
the rentals to be special fund for
irrigation.
Opposes Leasing Scheme.
SHOULD that bill become law
the public domain in the sixteen
states and Territories, aggregating an
area of 525000,000 acres, practically
all of the vacant public domain west
of the Mississippi would be subject
to lease at cents per acre for ten
years, with privilege Of renewal
for ten years more. During the
fiscal year there was made within
that area 53,654 original homestead
entries and 27,9O4 final homestead
entries embracing over 12,O0O,OOO
acres and affecting 85,558 persons;
and during the present fiscal year in
slications are that more entries will
be made affecting more people and
embracing greater acreage.
"Such a BILL if enacted into law,
Moul place the last acre of desirable
public land out of the reach of the
homeseeker and defeat the purpose
of the government to preserve the
public domain for homes for actual
seekers.
1T would also defeat the opera
tions of the reclamation act. approved
June II last, and make possible the
formation of a land monopoly never
contemplated by the public land sys-
TEN, but which, on the contrary, 1t
is one of the purposes Of that sys-
tenn to prevent.
Pressure of all sorts have been
brought to bear on this department to
cause cessation of the vigorous
policy it has pursued against unlawful
occupants of that public domain. II
has been frequently alleged by them
that the department has been making
war upon the cattle industry of the
West, and they have written letters
to different breeders of cattle i'll the
eastern and middle western states
and presented to them the argument
that their occupation would suffer
il the zeal of the government were
not abated: and these breeders in the
eastern and middle western states
have, in seme instances. written to
their senators and representatives i'll
congress, who have in turn written
TO this department.
Evasion Of the Law.
''In every other effort by those
who seek to prevent the removal Of
such unlawful fences, it is sought
to evade and obscure the only ques-
tion at issue. 1t is the duty of this
department to enforce the laws rela-
tive to the public domain. One of these
laws. which 'forbids and prohibits