The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-11
A New Land BfII.

An important land bill was intro
duced by Senator Hansbrough to-day
and referred to the public lands COM
mittee, of which he is chairman. The
measure is intended to cure the de-
fects in existing laws.
The bill by implication repeats the
timber and stone act, under winch
land Is now acquired at $3.50 per
acre, regardless of it's real value. 1t
then authorizes the secretary Of the
interior to make examinations and es-
Inmates, relative to the quantity ana
value of the timber or stone on the
public lands andsto sell the right to
cut and dispose Of the same in such
quantities as may seem advisable to
the highest bidder. This is the plan
that is now being so successfully pur-
sued in the sale Of timber on Indian
lands in Minnesota. Under the pro-
posed bill the title to the land re-
mains in the governments, and the sec
rotary Of the interior may fix the limit
of time In which the purchaser OF the
right shall remove the timber Or
stone The right to cut the timber
and make it a merchantable quantity
is made inalienable.
If this measure becomes a law all
the timber on the public domain Will
be withdrawn from entry and the
government will enter upon the policy
of disposing Of it's timber at it's mar
ket value. There is a provision in the
bill which prohibits the entry of these
lands under the homestead or other
land laws, and forbids the laying of
scrip thereon. In this way, and by
retaining the fee to the land, reforest-
ration will take place and the sale OF
timber by the government will be a
source OF considerable revenue. 1t
puts a quietus upon speculation in
10, Ies n
frauds which have recently grown
into a national scandal.
The second section Of the bill is a
necessary concomitant to the first. 1t
amends the lieu land selection act so
as to provide that when a settler
whose entry falls within a forest re-
serve selects another piece of land in
lieu of his original entry, the land so
selected must be more valuable for
agricultural purposes than for timber
or stone. Under existing law many of
the entryInen who find themselves
within a forest reserve proceed to cut
and dispose Of the timber on the land
and then go outside the reserve and
file a homestead upon other timber
land.
How to Make Proof.
The third section Of the bill amends
the act of March H., 1909, which pro-
yides that proofs under the several
land laws may be made before United
States court commissioners or local
courts of record. The proposed
amendment requires ell proofs OF
COMMITTED homestead and desert land
entries to be made hereafter before
registers and receivers in local land
offices.
The fact has been quite fully estab.
lished, upon information received al
the general land office, that nearly al
the proofs concerning which there il
any question as to regularity are
those which are now made before To-
cal courts and court commissioners
This proposed amendment to existing
law is recommended by the commits
sioner of the general land office, who
In his last report says: THE priv
leges gained by the act have beer
greatly abused, particularly by United
States commissioners, who have Otter
been parties to wholesale frauds IL
connection with proofs made before
them"
Senator Hansbrough offers this bill
as an adequate remedy for the abuses
which have been practiced for year,
under the existing land laws. The If
rigationists, on the other hand, de
nand the absolute repeal of all lant
laws, and they may not be satisfied
with the Hansbrough measure. Thi
bill will form the basis of the discus
sion In congress, and may be regarded
! /, as the first move on the part of those
who ara opposed TO absolute repea