The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1903-12-19
SEC'Y HITCHCOCK'S REPORT
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT SHOWS
PECULIAR STATE or AFFAIRS.
States occupy a Prominent
Part Of Rsport-Allssed Frauds IN
der Public Land Laws Being lnVss'
tloatsd-over a Million Acres OF
Timber Land Taken Up

Washington, d. C.-The annual 70
port Of the secretary Of the Interior.
volume OF PSI pages, Is ready Tor SUP
mission. or alleged frauds and Frvs'
ularities under the public land laws
Mr.. Hitchcock says:
During the past year there nave
been indicted ami arrested In the stats
Of Oregon, charged with forgery ana
conspiracy To detraud the government.
a United States commissioner ahd
three others. the Hrst being a woman
The United States commissioner has
been removed from her once. and all
are awaiting trial BY the court
1T Is alleged that several hundred
entries and nnal proofs were made
before this commissioner under the
act OF March II. 1909. all Of which
have been or are being examined BY
officers OF this department.
Forest Reserve Frauds.
Nearly a year ago information
reached the department which strongly
Indicated that frauds OF a serious IA
ture had been and were being perpe-
trated against the government under
what Is known as the forest reserve
lieu land act Of June 4. 1891. 81 a
combination Of land spectators on tho
Pacific coast. The Information aud
indicated frauds Wers OF 30 grave a
character that Al once directed a
thorough investigation 10 Do made.
IT u the confident belief OF those
In charge Of the lnquiry that the
guilty parties will BE- Appreciated zai
speedily brought To Justice.
Timber and Stone Act
During the nscal year snded Iuno
90. 1909. Tiers were 4.023 sntrtes IN
der the timber And Atons act. en-.
oracink 545.253.3s acren. while darinE
the last fiscal year there wers is.2t5
such eAtFlsa. embracing l.fs5.22z q
acres, an Increase over the previous
year Of seq entries and l-2l3.Sgs.tI
acres The Increase in tho ACTIVITY
OF this class OF entries affords food
tor serious rensctloa.
In the fail Of 1902 reports Of trreg
ularttlea In ths making OF sntrles IN
der this act. on tho Pacific coast. Wcr'
So numerous and persistent. that OF
November Is OF that year I dlrccteC
the commissioner Of the general lahs
Office 10 suspend action GA all entries
made under said act In the la Grads
LAKE View. Oregon CITY. aRd tn
Dalles land oeacss In Oregon. the Eu
reka. Reddlng. and Sacramento 0elesi
In California. and Seattle and yAacou
YER Offices In Washington. until prop@
Investigation thereof could be mad
and their bona ades determined.
/ Irrigation Enterprises
in Washington tho great body o
lrrigable land IL In tho csntrai par
Of the state. within what IL know
a. the Great Bend" Of the Columbll
This land 10 below tho level Of III
spokane river. At tho foot OF spokAn
Fails. and may DO reached By watts
from this or other sources. II the COS
Is not prohIbItory. Tho scheme IL on
, Of gigantic proportions. and its isai
lbility can not be- definitely determine
Z without careful surveys Similar bot
) les Of land north Of the Columbia. al
near tho Okanogan river. can be r,
. claimed probably at less cost
=. I'm Idaho. there are found 10 be sgr
4 eral opportunities for retaining ari
+ land with the waters ot the snake ri'
4 er and Its tributaries. especially b
{ utilizing a. reservoirs tho lakes at n
r hradwatsrs Of tho Snake. A lars
,. tract Of land has been reserved on N
Snake river desert In the vicinity
the town Of Dubois. and another b.
low American Falls near Mlnlduka:
!. third project Ia that for lrriEatin
r lands lying between tho Boise an
v Payetts rivers west Of the city ,
n Boise
!. During tho year n very lmportAr
Il system Of irrigation. conssryatlveIy o
c timated to cover about 10000 acres
O land on the Yakima reservation.
n Washington. was authorized by the d
n partmsnt. and the same IL now bsin
o constructed under tho personal sups
3 Vision ot the irrigation inspector.
D. Recently a decision was rsnderr
II by the United States circuit court Z,
the district Of Washington. aouthsr
division. Diminishing the bill filed Ju
II. 1895. to enIoIn WInans Brother
a. from Interfering with the fishery ar
"a other rights claimed by the Yaklu
a. Indians under their treaty. The ca
n has been appealed TO a higher cou
IT for final decree which will govern II
a. department and the Indian bureau. n
m only in this case hereafter. but in o,
or cases n similar nature that ha-
already arisen or that may rise in Il
future"
!. Record Talks by Phone.