Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-12-03
PUBLIC LANDS
GOING FAST
Western congressman Say
the Increased Sales Point
to Fraud.
HITCHCOCK TO INVESTIGATE
Fears Are Expressed That the
Land Is Not Being Taken
Up as the Law Con-
templates.

1 There is much comment at Washing
ton. particularly among senators and
representatives from western states,
that public land is slipping away now
more rapidly than ever before.
| Commissioner Hermann of the gen.
era land office, points to this fact with
pride, in his report. To others the in
| tion that the public lands are to some
extent falling into the hands of others
| than bona fide settlers.
| 1t is a generally acknowledged fact
| that the public land laws are faulty
and that they to some extent permit
fraud. At the same time, the atten-
ton of the interior department has
been called to the fact that if local Of
ficers exercise a reasonable amount of
discretion, and display good judgment
cases coming before them, some of
this fraud could be prevented.
1t is the common belief of those fam
iliar with land matters that there Is
more fraud perpetrating under the
timber and stone act than under any
other one land law. In number of
states, where there is evidence leading
to the conclusion that speculators Of
capitalists are corralling large areas of
timber land, steps have been taken to
discover the tools of such moneyed in
terests and to bring them into court.
The last report of Commissioner Her
man shows that in the fiscal wear, ended
June 80, 1902, 545,253 acres of land were
disposed of under the timber and stone
act, whereas in the preceding year but
396, 445 acres were entered under this
law. The cash receipts from sales un.
der the timber and stone act last wear
amounted to 81, 363, ld6 The cash zeal
lied from similar sales in 1901. 500. l44.
Those who are interested in land mat
ters contend that this increase is more
tnan would normally be expected at this
time. and insist that it is in a large part
due to the activity among fraudulent en-
trymen. The practice most common is
that iaoneyed ihen supp,y To intended
settlers sufficient sums to acquire timber
LANDS at the time, or previous to acquir.
ing patent. 1t is perfectly apparent in
many cases that whole families, which
never possessed thousand dollars, have
made enough timber entries at one time
to require the cash payment of two or
three thousand dollars.
1t is claimed by others who do not
take stock in the fraud theory, that the
present activity in public lands matters
is but natural. They assert that people
have begun to realize that public lands
are fast becoming a thing of the past,
and that if they are to acquire tracts Of
any considerable value they must do SO
now. 1t Is claimed that many of the orig
inal settlers in some of the Western
states, who have never before daring
their residence, bethought themselves to
acquire government timber lands at the
regular price of $3.50 an acre, are now
active in getting 160 acres apiece before
it Is too late. That new railroads are
building into the timber belts OF the
West is given as third reason for the
the prevailing activity.
In any event, Secretary Hitchcock is
so interested in protecting the rights of
the government that he has determined
to get to the bottom of the facts. II he
can reasonably establish the fact that
lands are being acquired by fraud he
will bring the offenders to justice. While
the land laws are lax, they yet provide
penalties for those who are caught vIo-
lating their liberal terms.