The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-15
TIMBER. STONE ACT.
Mr.. Walker Combats the Charges Of
Fraud Under.T That ss
Law.

i =Egs i = ~ ~
Contends That They Do Not Justify
the Demand for Re-
peal.
To the Editor of The Journal:
As you continued to criticize the views
concerning the repeal Of the timber and
stone act, which expressed in the inter-
view solicited by your reporter, I feel
called upon to again reply.
The question which I am; considering,
and which was raised in the interview
Which gave your reporter, was specifical-
ly as to the necessity or ,desirability of re-
pealing the timber and stone act in con-
sequence of the general prostitution Of
the act for fraudulent purposes, whereby
the entrymen are taking up lands directly
in the interests and for the benefit of
large corporations and individual owners,
who are .raiding the forests and in this
way destroying the priceless Inherit
ances" of the people. And it is this ques-
ton which I have been and am now con-
sidering and trying to- show that the
charges are, in the main, misrepresenta
lions and gross eXaggerations, with but
comparatively little foundation, and that
the repeal of this act will only make mat
tiers worse and less satisfactory.
The question of forest reserves and the
propriety of making such Withdrawals of
public lands from entry fOr location or
disposal in any way, is entirely differ
ent question. A large percentage of the
remaining timber lands in the western
mountains Is already Withdrawn and held
as reserve. Whenever such reserves can
be formed without taking from settle
ment, cultivation and use, lands that are
more valuable for settlements than for
forest reserves, and where such lands have
not already been largely entered, 1T Is
generally conceded to be a necessary and
desirable movement on the part of the
government, and I am strongly in favor
Of it. So let us consider more specifically
the question at issue, the necessity for
repeating the timber and stone act on
account of the immense frauds committed
In subversion. of the intention and object
for which the law was formed. :'...
You first denominate this "a bad law"
You then say, There may be as little
fraud in these matters as Mr.. Walker in
fers from his own experience, but there
are witnesses for the other side.' And
you illustrate this by saying, "Only the
other day we heard of a party of men
being collected by wealthy lumbernan
to proceed to Idaho and take stone. and
timber claims in his interest" Every
one of these men commit perjury when he
disposes of his land to the lumbernan,
and that person is accessory to the crime
|: Now, Mr.. Editor I do not: believe that
any wealthy lumberman has imported into
Idaho, from any Of the other states, an
aggregation of people to take up land in
his interests. The lumbermen are not in
general lacking in good business Judgment
nor in right business principles: Such a
! movement as this would be a foolish, eX-
pensive and q dangerous one. There is
no need for it's being done; no money to
be saved by doing it; no timber to be OBJ
tanned that could not be obtained to better
advantage than by importing people in
this way to take up the land on an agree
ment with the claimants to purchase the
land after they had obtained title. The
government agents are more keenly alive
to find any fraudulent entries than any
one else, they have more interest in doing
so, and are the only ones that have access
to the cases in such way as to deter
mine their validity, or to discover the
frauds, if any exist. And if you will go
into a government land office and see the
rigid and extreme measures taken to fer
ret out everything, you would see: that
this would not be a safe proposition and a.
man Of good common ability would not
do it. 49,. -: - i-.. -: ..-.
If any one has solicited or advised or
encouraged any person or persons to come
from Minnesota or wisconsin or, else
where to Idaho, it has been some surveyor
or land examiner, who has discovered in
that mountainous region some tracts or
portions of land, perhaps in the neighbour
hood Of where some lumbermen is buying
timber, and has, of his own free will and
accord, and for the profit that he could
make by selling his timber land notes,
| been instrumental in taking people there
and locating them on the land. Not for
the benefit Of any lumberman, or with
any agreement or understanding or con-
tract, whereby the timber was toebe pur-
chased when title was secured, and, in
fact, not in accordance with the wishes
or desires of any man who is buying tim
Der in that region. Ky +
: I think it only q proper request that you
give the source Of your information and
let US see If this statement like most of
them, is not grossly prejudiced or mis-
represented, or if not. to see how much
truth there is in it,. Charges of that ma
ture are a reflection upon people generally
of all classes. represented in the list OF
those who take up timber lands under this
law. Among those who have taken claims
are school teachers, superintendent
principals, professors from the University
Of Minnesota, merchants, lawyers, doctors
farmers, workingmen from any and al
occupations. :
Taken from the experience of my many
years and in dealing very extensively
with people like those who are here &C
cused, through the old additional home
stead act, I am prepared to say that the.
are not only comparatively free from in
clination to perjury or fraudulent transac
lions, but are honest and trustworthy.
Statements similar to this one which
has been made by you, and others NOR
specific, were charged against the nortl
California land Offices, by a Mr.. Burke
an agent of the mining bureau, which
were considered Of such Importance tina
a large part of northern California an,
southern Oregon were Withdrawn from
market and a number Of different specia
agents we're sent by the secretary of til
interior and commissioner of the genera
land office, each separately, to thorough
1y investigate the charges. The repre-
sentative for the secretary of the interior
one of the most capable men in the field
who went to the Susanvillel office wit
!, the expectation of finding unlawful com
, binations and fraudulent practices ex
, amined eighty-fve cases, going thorough
), 1y. through the details of each one an
Sitting out every feature, and lande,
with the conclusion that every one Wa
, straight and beyond criticism. exceptin
;. one, whose lack of means to pay for hi
J, land had led him to some sort of dea
to procure the same. This was from tn
office Of the secretary. Reconnaissance
of the general land office sent two diff