The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-04-10
TIMBER
LAND
FRAUDS
Eastern SyndicateS
the Cause
Factories for SubOrnatiOn Of
Perjury
Desert and Arid Lands TO Be
Exploited Next

The Sacramento Bee made vigorous
war on the land Offices in California
for some time and to such purpose
that much of the fraudulent land en-.
try business was stopped. However.
in recent issue II comments on the
evil and. quoting from an article In
the New York Herald. comments as
follows
The New York Herald OF recent
date contains a page article by j. d.
whopley. member OF the Herald
bureau staff at Washington. d. C..
showing that at the present rate there
will be no public lands left for set
tlement within hve years. Mr.
Whelploy's article Is caustlc ar.
raignment OF the methods Of the Unit
ed States Land ONCE. and Il ia one
which is borne out by the acquaint
ance the Sacramento public has re.
Gently gained through the Bee con.
corning those mthods. He shows up
at great length and attention 20 de
tail the monstrous frauds which arc
carried on under the very eyes Of tho
Land Office. and which receive no
word OF rebuke from that quarter.
] lie proves that individuals without
funds OF their own have been en-.
ploycd TO make entries for others
with large capital who have paid the
expenses. and that some wealthy
spectators have made enormous for.
tunes. Says the New York Herald;
THE fact that so large a part OF
the nations resources has gone into
the control of a few individuals or
corporations is not the most serious
effect OF the laws. The principal In.
jury consists in the loss OF control
OF millions OF acres OF timber land.
TO which future generations OF Amer.
lean citizens must look not only for
their supply Of timber and timber
products but for protection to the
supply OF water upon which will de.
pend the fertile and most Of the agri.
cultural lands OF the West The
Desert Land Act was placed upon the
statute books In the first instance TO
enable a few wealthy men 10 acquire
vast bodies OF land In California. The
facilities Il gave 10 rich men To oh.
tain land on an extensive scale re
suited In making the act applicable
TO an OF our arid and semi-arid
States.
In a great majority OF cases its
provisions have been flagrantly yio-
lated. Men and women have In nu.
merous instances been employed 10
take up land in continuous bodies.
from 5000 70 100000 acres. and 10
turn them ever 10 land proprletors.
to be used chiefly for grazing pur.
poses"
With reference to timber and stone
frauds. OF which those exposed last
summer in Sacramento by the Bee
New York Herald article states:
1t is evident from the small mum.
ber OF investigations OF lands taken
up under the Timber and Stone Act.
the Desert Land act and the commu.
tation clause for the Homestead Act. |
during the last ten years. that the |
necessity OF securing the public lands
against fraudulent entries and final
proofs is now considered OF less i'm
portance than IL was formerly.
AN ofhcial statement made by Sec.
retary Lamar stands out In sharE
contrast. for II appears that fraudu-
lent land entries covering 100000
acres were Cancelled In the two years
prior 20 1857. ID Is not necessary %
state that fraudulent land entries are
being made as frequently now a. al
any previous time for there never has
been In the life OF this nation a time
when public lands have been taken
up as rapidly as now. with such a
small corresponding Increase IN the
population"
President Roosevelt Is credited by
Mr.. Whelpley with "an unchangeable
purpose Of remaining steadfast in his
opposition 10 this wrongful use Of the
public lands" He has said that
home building is but another nama
for the upbuilding Of the nation" and {