The sun., 1903-12-14
PACIFIC COAST LAND FRAUDS.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF
THE INTERIOR.
He Says Three Persons Have Been Indicted
I'm Widespread Conspiracy to
Obtain Title to Public Lands--2O, 900
Entries Suspended on Charges OF Fraud.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.--The most sig
nificant feature of the annual report OF
the Secretary Of the Interior ls the dis
cussion of the land frauds. The estimates
OF the Interior Department for the ex-
penses Of protecting the public domain
during the nex xt fiscal year call for $3.50 900
q large increase over the amount asked
for and appropriated by the Congress last
year.
1T is the purpose Of the Department to
pursue with unflagging ZEAL says Secre-
tary Hitchcock in his report. until justice
is meted out to all persons shown to have
committed frauds against the Government
by unlawfully acquiring any portion of
the public domain"
A United States Commissioner IA woman)
and three others have been indicted in
Oregon on charges of fraud. Suits have
been brought" says the Secretary, @in a
number of instances in the Federal courts
to vacate patents and to restore to the
public domain the lands acquired by alleged
fictitious entrymen. 1t is believed that
the outcome of the matter will go far
toward putting an end to the fraudulent
practices that heretofore seem to have
been much in vogue in securing title to
public lands
So widespread has been the conspiracy
to obtain title to the public lands in viola
ton Of Law that there are now 10000 entries
suspended on charges of fraud. The Secre-
tary says it Is the intention to probe the
matter to the bottom. despite the ap-
parently influential character or some of
the men involved.
Busy as the Interior Department has
been in ferreting out evidences of fraud
and preventing dishonest practices by
land Spectators there has been time for
the administration of a large volume of
routine, business in connection with the
disposal OF the public domain and other
matters. There were disposed Of during
the last fiscal year public lands aggre-
eating q, ,S24 ,299 acres classified as follows:
Cash sales, 3,073,ss acres: miscellaneous
entries, embracing honesteads. land war
swamp lands. railroad and wagon road
selections, Indian allotments, &c, l9,577,031
acres, and Indian lands, 1891 acres,
showing an increase Of 1886, ,764 acres
as compared with the aggregate disposals
for the preceding fiscal year; The total
various sources, including, disposal, of
public land (3lo,557, 1879 and Indian land
(SSOs ,939), from depredations on public
lands o5,25D, from sales OF timber OH
forest reserves 1881 ,a66), from sales of Gov
ernment property (Ss49) and for furnish
ing copies OF records and plats (Ss0,l1s).
aggregate 81 ,024 TAB. an increase of 81, 1902, :
BIG over the preceding fiscal year
Good progress has been made in the adj
ministration of the national Reclamation
act of 1902. In connection with this work,
Mr.. Hitchcock says:
an the development of many of the prof.
ects of reclamation considerable por-
ton of the land to be irrigated ia found to
be in private ownership. A study OF the
existing conditions shows that very few
of the available projects will involve public
land only, and the problem of dealing
with number of private owners has re-
ceived much consideration.