New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-12
TIMBER LAND ABUSES
OLD Law At FAULT.
.Svndicates Secure Millions of Acres
at Losc Price Through Collision.

rual report, William A Richards. commissioner
O. the general ls-e Office. VIII dwell at length
on the abuses or the present law under which
tie timber lands OF the West are being taken up
by syndicf-ies. ana demand the repeal OF that
Law. The government is giving away for
mere song rui'ons OF acres OF valuable timber
lends ana rapidly decreasing the area Of vacant
public domain.
twenty-five Yeas ago Congress passed an act
TO encourage the settlement OF the Western sec
ten Of the country. Vast forest areas were to
be found 10 the west and north OF the Mssissip-
rI and In order TO induce pioneers to go West,
clear this land and establish homes. the gov
eminent agreed 10 sell Il for So so an acre That
law has remained unchanged on the statute
hooks ever since. and big syn6icates are
gobblins Up what IS left IN the way of timber
tracts worth 500 and upward an acre. paying
the nominal sun exacted a quarter of a CEN
FURY sgo.
Commissioner Richards realizes that the orig
snal Intent CT the law Is not being observed and
has resorted 20 every means in his power 10
head OF the wholesale appropriation OF the for
est lands by sawrnil and lumber syndicates
He has hela up a great many claims for land
patents in endeavor to prove collision be-
tween the claimants and lumber companies
tis efforts have merely had the effect OF stirnu-
latng the fling Of entries. which have lately
surpassed ali previous records
The spectators evidently fear the early re-
peal Of the law and are hrrrying to get their
claims n before Il is too late. Commissioner
Richards is resorting to every legitimate scheme
70 delay the issuing OF patents hoping to save
some Of the comparatively few remaining tracts
Tor the benefit Of those persons for whom the
law originally intended
The commissioners annual report has gone to
Secretary Hitchcock. but the latter has not yet
made its features public. It shows that during
the past fiscal year the government disposed
o. 19.7sllSo acres OF vacant land. realizing
therefor the sum Of S1O5576lS But the sig
nihcant part Of the report is found in the chap
ter relating timber lands. The number OF
acres Of this kind sold was Les. DO and the re-
ceipts were S4.41S911. During the preceding
year the amount Of timber lands disposed Of
was less than one-third the area sold during
the last year.
SPECTATORS MAKING FORTUNES.
The way the business OF taking up land Of
this character has increased VIII be realized
better from the statement that the entire
amount Of timber land sold during the twenty
five years Of operation OF the law is less than
100000 acres. OF which nearly 100000 acres
were claimed last year. IN discussing the sit
uation Commissioner Richards said:
There is no doubt that the law is being taken
advantage Of by spectators who are getting
rich 81 the expense Of the government and Of the
men for whose benefit the law was primarily
passed TWO dollars and a half an acre for this
land is a mere nominal price. for most of it is
worth from 500 an acre UP. This Office is Just
now experimenting the sale Of some timber
lands 81 the Chippewa Indian reservation. Ac-
cording 10 our estimate we will receive more
than 50 100000 for the land which we VIII turn
the Indians. IF this property belonged to
the government we would receive something like
49, 49, 49,
the government had sold the Eve million acres of
timber land that had been disposed of up to one
year ago At an actual loss Of considerably more
than SIO1et1OBa In other words he figured
that through the operation of this antiquated
law public property worth $50 100000 had been
disposed OF for about S13 100000.
OF course, Il is right that this timber should
be cut and used commercially. but the govern
rnent should get an adequate return for parting
with the property. Matured timber should be
cut when Il is ripe and II It is not It deteriorates
Ike every other kind Of vegetable life. There
fore, would not favor law that proposed to
cut OF all sales, but L believe that the present
law is defective and should be repealed. The
government has more timber land than all the
lumber companies own together, and il would
not &c Just 70 put fence about the forests and
forhia cutting.
HOW THE TIMBER LAW is ABUSED.
When ore observes the character Of claims
that being dleo." continued Commissioner
Richards, little argument is needed to convince
him that these lands arc being taken up for the
benefit OF synGicates and corporations and not
the individual claimants. For instance, a car
load OF people VIII leave the State of Michigan,
cross the continent and scatter in the hills Of
Oregon. Immediately we viii receive claims for
100 acres q land, the number Of claims CORE
spending exactly with the number Of passengers
that boarded the westbound train Each claim
VIII be accompanied by check for 500 and on
investigation re find that many Of the claim
ants have never been known 10 have that much
money al one tTle in their lives Naturally we
ecent collision and all the claims are held for
further inquiry However. The law IS so drawn
] Is n
IS required is that the claimant shall have seen
the property in question and be able TO pay for
y al the rate of - % an acre. no prior resi-
dence in the State is exacted and no oeclara-
to1 O. an intention 70 live on and cultivate the
ground. The claimant can pay his money,
secure patent and sell the land the next day,
and we have no means Of blocking the sale. The
law does require that he shall swear that he is
taking the land for his own benefit but If he
proposes to sell 81 Immediately, who can say
that the transfer Is not Tor The benent OF the
CLAIMANT
1t Il difficult TO propose a suitable and cor
rect remedy. Some think il would be well 10
nppiv certain OF the homestead requirements,
where the claimant must have lived on the
property for five years before he becomes me
owner This provision makes IL impractica bic
Cor man 10 take out a claim for merely spec
ulstive purposes. But there are features Of
the homestead law which are giving US trouble
AID which shoulc be corrected also For in
stance the Communication clause is much abused.
II provides that after claimant has lived on
his tract Of land for fourteen month"; ne can
buy the entire lot for 81 - or 81 90 an acre,
according its location WITH regard 10 tne
nearest railroad.
has not alarmed any one. but has merely hsd
the effect OF stimulating the claim business
Applications are coming IN At rate never pe-
tore eQualleo those received curing the last
fiscal year being three times as many as IA
tie preceding year. the specuIators Year lhat
the law is 70 be repealed and are fling their
claims in advance OF such possible action"
An examination OF the latest figures COM
PILED IN the general land office. showing me