Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-12-15
new MEXICO
PUBLIC LANDS
Area Disposed Of During Last
Fiscal Year Aggregates
Millions
PLAN TO SURVEY
Measures to Protect Timber
Frauds and Irregularities I'm
der the Present Law.

Yesterday, The Optic was furnish
Cd with : complete report Of Score
tary Hitchcock Of the Interior depart
ment for publication. The report
makes interesting reading, but is mucn
TOO yoluminous to be reproduced In
full. However. AZ space Offers OK.
tracts bearing on the public lands, IN
which New Mexico IL much interest
Cd, viii be published The report
says:
There were disposed Of during the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1903, pub
lie lands aggregating 22,S242ys.s5
acres. classified an follows: Casli
sales. s,073,S > ..9s acres. misceilan-
eous entries. embracing homestead -,
land warrants, scrip locations, state
selections, swamp lands. railroad and
wagon.road selections, Indian ailot.
ments. etc. ls.577.0si 10 acres, and
Indian lanis. l7a.37i.b6 acresy show
ing an Increase Of 3.3s5,7e4a5 acres
as compared with the aggregate dis
posals for the preceding fiscal year.
The total cash receipts during the
-
fiscal year from various sources, N
cludipg disposal of' public land, sio,-
557.6iS.66. and Indian land, $soS.'
1894; from iepredations on public
lands. ss5.25i.aI: from sales q timber
on forests reserves. $3l,9G6,2i; from
sales OF government property, 3Sa9,
So. and for furnishing copies and re-
cords and plats, s~3o,lis4s; aggregate
ti1,024. 1885. an increase q N.762.
S16.47 over the preceding fiscal year
The total expenses Of district land
ofnces for salaries and commission
81 registers and receivers, incidental
expenses, and expenses OF depositini
public moneys during the fiscal veal
ended June 80, 1903, were $685. 62. 80
IN Increase. Is compared with the As
cal year ended June 80. 1902. Of $40,
ssto2.
public Surveys.
by the act Of cogress approved jun
zs,iso2 t32 stat, L, 453). making ~
propriations for the sundry civil ex
pcnses Of the government for Tn
f,scaI year ending June 80. 1908. an
for other purposes. there was apprs
priated FOR surveys and resnrveys 2
public lands" the sun OF sS25,ooO, 9
which amount the commissioners OF tn
general land Office was authorized
expend as much as he might deei
necessary for examinations In th
field, etc.
The appointments made to the se'
cral districts were as follows;
Alaska 5000; Arizona, si2,oos
California. $4,000; Colorado, @.oo'
Idaho. $50, 900. Minnesota, $1,000
Montana, $4,000: Nevada, $4,000
New Mexico $4,000; North pakot
$4,000: oregon, $4,000; Utah, ~
600: washington. $4,000; Wyomin
10000.
p~epredations Upon Public T,mns
There we're 3i2 eases OF depred
lions upon public timbered lands :
ported during The year, involving ~
Der TO the value of s622. ossfi, a d
crease OF s77o,sO7 ~ from last yea
In SO cases recommendation was ma
for civil sult. the damages inyoly'
a~ggregating s325,2s3.l7. Proposition
OF settlement to the number OF u
were accepted, their amounts a
xregating ts7.iotsa. From sales
timber cut unlawfully from publ
lands there were Ttcetseu so'e't'-
from compromises under secti'
s4ss, United states Revised statut,
s3i.4oo2 20; from fines Imposed a
judgments rendered sst.os27i; ma
ing a total Of sl9t.43i7o accruing
the government through depreciation
upon public lands.
On June 80. 1904. there were per
ing in the United States courts
civil suits for the recovery OF a toI
smount q s2.s7e.23s6e. the value
timber alleged to have been TAX
unIawfully from public lands. and !
criminal prosecutions for cutting
removing timber in violation OF Ia