New-York tribune., 1903-06-29
PUBLIC LAND ABUSES.
REVELATIONS
Lumber and Cattle Companies Ac-
ouiring Public Domain.
fFRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU

Tribune Of the 10Th inst on "lrriSatloh al"
Land Grabbing" stated in its opening sentence
that "the wisdom of President Roosevelt's suG-
gestion in his annual Message of last December
that the land laws be amended to preserve the
public domain for the use Of actual SETTLERS be-
comes more and more apparent as we learn OF
the abuses which exist through the failure OF
Congress to act upon his advice
The absolute truth of that statement is con-
frmed by information obtained on inquiry at the
Interior Department. which has to deal with
those abuses In a report submitted to the Senate
at It's last session bill introduced by Sena-
tor Quarles to repeal the Timber and Stone and
Desert Land acts and the Communication clause or
the Homestead law under the operation Of
which the public domain is rapidly disappear
ing, the Secretary OF the Interior advised that
body that. owing. doubtless, to the commercial
depression that existed from 1893 to 1897. there
great activity In entries under the Tim
Der and Stone act. but that with the revival and
return of prosperity in 1897 activity IN such en-
tries became great that from 357 entries In
1897 embracing 40.6O9.95 acres. they increased
until in 1902 the entries numbered 4.022. en-
bracing 545253.9S acres He also called at+en-
ton to the fact that the reports from one public
land State alone for the quarter ended June 30,
1902 show that the number Of timber and stone
entries was 331 during that quarter. embracing
4S.5S5.50 acres; that during the quarter ended
September 80. 1902, the number OF entries had
increased to 1.1S3. embracing Isl. .O5202 acres,
increase during the last the preceding
quarter Of $50 entries and 132. 2.466.52 acres, and
in another State during the same period there
was an Increase of 294 entries and 45OS628
acres.
The acreage embraced in desert land entries
was also shown to have increased from 174.-
2O1.19 acres in 1897 to 929. 9.23023 acres In 1902
The startling character Of the information
thus disclosed brought favorable report on tho
Quarles bill from the Senate COMMITTEES on Pub
lie Lands, but not until so late date in tha
session as TO make the passage Of the blu i'm
possible.
LAWS FAVOR sPECULAToRs-
Practically none Of the land embraced IN
either of the classes Of entries above mentioned
goes to furnish homes for actual settlers. but
virtually all of it finds it's way ultimately into
the hands OF lumber syndicates the one hand
and cattle companies the other. That the
rapid absorption of the public domain under the
operation Of these laws Is still going on, with
an increasing rather than diminishing speed. Is
evidenced by the fact that the records Of the
General Land Office show that during the three
quarters ended March 81, 1903, of the current
fiscal year. 9,S69 entries have been made under
| the Timber and Stone act. embracing an acre
age of 1.42901772 acres. being more than dou-
Il
| during the whole Of the last fiscal year under
| this act, with entire quarter yet TO hear
| from During the same period the number OF
| desert land entries was 4214, embracing 1885,
753 66 acres. being nearly so per cent of the
/ tire acreage appropriated during the whole Of
the last fiscal year under this act within 80 per
| cent of the time, and II. .254 commute home
| stead entries have been made, embracing 622-
40797 acres.
That these laws. the operation of which fur
nshes such splendid opportunities for the spec
ulator in public lands will. unless speedily
/ peaIed, soon render the President policy inef-
| fectve and remove the last acre of public land
beyond tbs reach of the homeseeker. is readily
apparent
The greatest activity in timber and stone en-
tries exists in the States of Oregon. California
| and Washington, and. acting on information
that large numbers of speculative entries under
that act were being made In those States, the
Secretary of the Interior, November Is last.
/ directed the Commissioner Of the General Land
Office that. until further ordered by the depart
ment he should suspend action all entries
made under said act then before his Office or
that might thereafter come before it from those
States
INVESTIGATING ENTRIES
| He also directed that all such entries should
be carefully investigated by special agen OF
the General Land Office. and that the reports Of
! the special agents thereon should be submitted
I bv 4ba commissioner to the Secretary for final