The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-12-18
ADMIT MAGNITUDE
OF LAND FRAUDS.
Secretary Hitchcock Expressed
His Real Views in lncon-
spieuous Way.
10000 ENTRIES BoaUs2
That Number, Anyhow, Are Unde.
Suspicion and in Process Of In
vestisation, for Which Much
Money Is Needed.

n
Washington, Dec. 16.-Whati secre-
tary Hitchcock really thinks about the
magnitude of the public land and tim
Der fraud has appeared in q way least
expected. The secretary gave out a
statement several weeks ago declaring
That the reports We're, in some respects,
grossly exaggerated. Now his views
OF the seriousness of the situation have
appeared in an u~nconspicuous place.
Ihe volunirious book of estimates OF
needed appropriations which the Sec
rotary Of the treasury sent to congress
on the first day of the session calls for
$4,000 to protect the public lands from
fraudulent entry, and in very fine print
on the salne page is a long note of sew
eral hundred words. The note is I'M
signed, but in reality its author was
Secretary Hitchcock. Among the rea-
sons Which he gives in this note for the
Increased estimate are the following:
From every section of the country
come complaints of the disposition of
the public lands in violation iof the
despoilation OF the timber, and the
maintenance of unlawful Enclosures
upon the land. These complaints cite
cases where it is found upon investi-
cation that Spectators, cattle com
panies, corporations and individuals
are all engaged in an effort to plumber
the public domain.
The Fictitious Claims.
Entries are being made without res
ldence or Improvement, timber lands
are being taken for speculation and
fictitious proofs are being made, espe-
cially before officers other than regis
ters and receivers, as to the compliance
OF the claimants with the laws. The
present appropriation furnished scanty
support to scarcely sixty agents, and.
1t is only necessary to state it in order
to emphasize the impotency of the pres
en- forge to reach out over the vast
area of the public lands and protect
them from the wholesale frauds that
are now being attempted.
THE developments Of the last six
months have satisfied me that the
present appropriations are wholly in.
adequate to secure anything like an ef-
fective execution Of the laws and to
clear the records of any considerable
portion OF the large number of alleged
fraudulent entries now awaiting ac-
ton" setfse
The views of the secretary were i'm
pressed upon the president several
weeks ago, for Mr.. Roosevelt recom-
mended that a large noun of money
be made available for prosecuting the
= timber frauds. How great these frauds
are, in the opinion of Mr.. Hitchcock, is
shown by this futher quotation from
his mote" attached to the annual esti-
mates: gtPsg Ii la@ s{t; IA aft5}
Many Under Suspicion,
NEARLY $4,000 entries are suspended
on the charge of fraud. About half Of
his number are in the different stages
of adjustment. About 5000 entries I'M
der the timber land law of June 8, 1878,
have been suspended on a satisfactory
showing that they have not been made
in compliance with law, but in the in
terest of other persons and corpora
lions. There are about $500 entries
which have been committed under the
homestead law without a sufficient
showing of residence or Improvements
Nearly 1000 soldiers additional appli-
cations and a large number of soldiers
widows applications are also shown tc
have. been made in violation Of the
laws. To this must be added the. large
number of cases involved in timber
t~respasses and unlawful Enclosures"
1t appears from the remarks Of Mr.
Hitchcock. through the u~nconspicuou!
medium of the annual book of esti,
mates, that he regards the land fraud.
quite as seriously as the authors Of tn,
most sensational stories that have beef
publiShed about them.