The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-12-19
Frauds ON the Pub. ic Domain.

Ane government IS u1SIy W uu'
dertake reforms i the land laws Of
! nature that will bear very heavily
on frauds. In long letter to the
New York Evening Post Its Wash:
ington correspondent says that
there Is rowing demand through
out the entire country for greater
conservatism in the disposal Of the
remaining public lands. This
years report Of the Secretary Of
the Interior records land frauds
whereby vast areas Of fertile agri-
cultural land have been put be-
yond the reach of settlers. Per.
sons desiring to acquire large tract
tor grazing or speculative pur-
poses are reaping the harvest. In
1901 the land Office decided away
about 10000. 900 acres Of the pub
lie domain. In 1907 the amount
80 disposed Of reached nearly 2o,-
ooo, 900 acres, and 1t is freely pre-.
dicted that und I the present law
and Its peculiar administration
more than 10000, 900 acres will 60
during the year 1903. The presi
dents Recommendation on this
subject in his message has been
embodied In the Powers bill In.
troduced in the House. 1.-THE FIRST
section Of the hill proposes to re-
peal The timber and stone law !.
Under this law over half q mil.
lion acres Of timber was disposed
Of by the government last year for
$2.So an acre. In a majority OF
cases one tree on each acre Of this
land would yield sufficient lumber
to pay Its cost. The present law
also provide. that a certain citizen
Of the United States shall be al.
lowed to make only one claim, and
that for his own personal benefit.
This regulation has been evaded
the great lumber companies have
hired people to exercise their
citizenship rights. transferring
these timber lands 10 the company
employing the M. The second sec,
tion Of the bill proposes to repea,
the desert Ia d law. Vast areas oil
desert land have been taken up,
without any corresponding increase
in population. showing that the
CO. Ger, S already in the cattle bust.
ness are simply extending their
holdings" One Western Senator
says be believ IS thai, If the thous.
ands Of desert laud entries made In
his state were investigated. ii
would be found that not one in ten
would prove to have been honest
or its title secured without perjury
The new bill repeats the commu,a-
ton clause Of the homestead emit, y.
SAYS The Post correspondent:
There are now about S2s 600. 900
acres Of land left in the public do
main. 1t is roughly estimated
that less than 100, 600, 600 can be
made arabic and habitable in var
ious ways, and that the balance of
It is mountainous to such a degree
as to be suitable only tor pasture,
or perhaps not even Tor that. The
national irrigation law which
passed Congress last winter con-
templates the reclamation of the
100. ooo, 900 acres of arabic land
winch was available when that law
was enacted. AT the present rate
OF absorption OF arabic land it will
BE- but few years before the Gov.
eminent will practically be with.
out opportunity to put into force
the national irrigation law unless
the land laws are so changed mean.
while as to proven, the monopoliz.
Ing OF large areas bv iho.e who
have money to employ people to
file upon them, to buy witnesses to
perjure themselves. and 10 fight
their cases through the courts and
the Interior department"
D,amond6eld Jack is par.loned