New-York tribune., 1903-03-09
LAND LEGISLATION.
ReUie1c of Work Done and Left Un-
done by Congress.
TBy TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE.l


Washington. March S-One of the disastrous re-
suits Of the Democratic nibuster in the House OF
Representatives in the closing days OF the LFh'l
Congress was the failure CT legislation when hau
been agreed upon for the opening for settlement
Of 2l5000O of agricultural lands in seVera OF
the largest Indian reservations Of the country me
early part of the session had been devoted oS 'noSe
interested in this legislation to getting satslac
tory base for the legislation. This had just peeh
reached when the flibuster began. Members OF 'iio
Appropriations Committee headed by Mr.. cannon
opposed the proposition contained In the nrst pi!iS
introduced. that the Indian lands should be bought
by the government and then thrown open TO settle
ment There was no opposition, however from '''ls
quarter to the proposition to have the government
act trustee for the sale OF the lands to settlers
by the Indians By this plan the government was
to purchase the lands in trust and as they were
sold to settlers pay the purchase price to the Ind-
fans.
Under this plan 50o.nno were to be thrown
open IN Oklahoma. $4,000 acres of the Rosenud
Reservation In South Dakota, 1ooo0 900 acres Of the
Crow Reservation in Montana. and 0o.oD acres OF
the Devils Lake Reservation in North Dakota. The
only measure of this class which was allowed 10
get through bill throwing open TO setuF-
ment 100000 acres of the Red Lake Reservation II
estimated that if all of the measures had De-
laws. homes would have been furnished TOT
something like 00oo families the best a6rlcult-
urai land in the country.
Chairman Lacey. of the House Committee on
Public Lands regrets greatly failure Of the leg
islation. He is optimistic, however, that IL VIII
go through early at the first session OF the next
Congress, and predicts that there will be S'am-
pede on the part of settlers to secure homes on
the fertile lands of these various Indian reserva-
tions
One Of the most important accomplishments OF
the session just closed in the way Of public land
legislation the opening up OF the glsohte
mineral lands of the Uncompahgre Indian Reserva-
tion in Utah There has been heated c0ntro-
vcrSv about opening up mineral deposit for tho
last ten years. This reservation contains 'he ell
tire worlds supply Of Gilsonito so Tar as hIlo"h'
CilScnite is high form of asphalt or PITCH lleIo
are also this reservation large deposits OF ela
erite a substance used roofing varnish both
minerals in a pure state 1t is beile'eo 'he
Gilsonite be proitably used for street pdFlls'
and if this proves true the deposits Will De OF
incaculabe value 10 the commercial World.
HARDSHIP FOR PROsPECToRs.
Tho question of how hest to throw these mineral
lands open tcS the public one which ensrossed
tho attention of the lawmakers for some time. The
conclusion reached that the discoveries or To-
cations made prior to 1891 should be held valid At
the time these first discoveries were mace thlS
land was under executive order" and the general
bcIief at that time was that the mineral lands OF
such reservations subject to location In the
same way as other mineral lands. In order 10 pre-
vent these lands from falling into the hands OF
monoroly the law which provides for their open
ing reserves every other section or lana 10 'He
government. This is somewhat disappointing 10
many prospectors who have located claims III 'he
last few years. they will not he allowed 10 dc-
ouire title to the they hav" made should
such locations happen to be on the ScctloliS ieSe'
by the government.
There was some important legislation IN the seS-
sion in the way of preserving the wonderful hdlu-
raj criosities of the country. The House passed
bill for the second time making the petrihed foreS'
of Arizona a rational park. This petrfed forest
contains several thousands OF asat1zed trees WHICH
on account of the lack OF SUPERVISOR are oenls
rand1y DESTROYED and carried away by curiosity
DNn NIT
OF the most valuable of the specimens Inc S won5
nati natona PARK This Temarkable IS extinct
geyser Crater Lake n @ oregon "S ~ the Cliff and
cave dweiIers Of New Mexico were made the sub
Vas reached in the effort TO preserve them under
special governmental jurisdiction
NO LAW FOR GAME PROTECTION.
Under the leadership Of President Roosevelt, an
effort was made to pass a bill creating places OF
refuge for game in the forest reserves bill was
introduced in the House and one in the Senate but
opposition developed in the House and the nlli III
troduced there failed. The Senate succeeoed IN get
ting its bill through but the measure came 10 the
House too late the session to secure action al
though the House committee took favorable action
A new homestead law for Alaska was passed
This law increased the size Of the homestead that
can be taken up In Alaska from eighty to three
hundred and twenty acres Under the ALASKA
Homestead Act of 1895 the size Of the homestead
was fixed eighty acres and not single entry
has heen made under that law. The reason Tor
this WAS explained to be that one in search or
a home would go Alaska and be restricted 10
eighty acres of land when he could obtain one
hundred and sixty acres in any of the States
where public land to be had.
A bill allowing special surveys TO nc mace @.
coal lands in Alaska passed by the ttouse hut
met defeat in the Senate, being objected to by
Senator IIeiteld his last official act as senator
There are from twenty thousand TO hfty thnlSdnu
l. acrae of coal lands in Alaska which could be
worked If special surveys were permitted 10 De
,ngde Tor the location of the lands. This, however
n,iid Interfere With the coal trade of II the
Ct1 Sr-ith V.
is given as the reason for the objection
Taken all together there was more accom- T @
IN the wav OF public land legislation at IN" snort
session of the With Congress than mas neen aC-
complished previously In the same length OF Time