Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1903-12-19
SEC'Y H|TCHCOCK'S REP)P
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT suou,t
PECULIAR STATE OF AFEA,s.
Northwest States Occupy a Prom,,...
Part OF Report-AIIesed Fraud. i.
der Public Land Laws Being live,
tlsated-over a Million Acre, !.
Timber Land Taken Up.

port OF the secretary of the interior
volume OF 2S7 pages, is ready for o.,
mission. OF alleged frauds and ,, S
ularitles under the public land las
Mr.. Hitchcock says:
During the past year there b.
been indicted and arrested in tho co..
OF Oregon, charged with forgery sns
conspiracy to defraud the governmoa.
United States commissioners -,
three others, the first being a wora'
The United States commissioners -.
been removed from her Office, and al
are awaiting trial by the court
1T Is alleged that several buna,o,
entries and final proofs were MAJ
before this commissioner under N.
act of March II, 1902, all of which
have been or are being examined ~
officers of this department.
Forest Reserve Frauds. II
Nearly a year ago informot,o.
reached the department which stropylv
indicated that frauds of a serious NJ
ture had been and were being nerns
trated against the government unds
what is known as the forest reserw
lieu land act of June 4, 1897. nv
combination of land spectators on tbs
Pacific coast. The information and
indicated frauds were of so grave
character that at once directed
thorough investigation to be made
ut is the confident belief of tbos
in charge of the inquiry that I'm
guilty parties will be apprehended and
speedily brought to justice.
Timber and Stone Act. u
During the fiscal year ended Jups I
80, 1902, there were 4,022 entries M
der the timber and stone act, emil
bracing 545,253.98 acres, while during
the last fiscal year there were 122sI
such entries, embracing 1,765,222aI
acres, an increase over the preyiouE
year of 1927 entries and 1,21996SsI
acres. The increase in the activity
of this class of entries affords fOOA
for serious reflection. H.
I'm the fall of 1902 reports Of irrg
ularities in the making of entries m
der this act, on the Pacific coast wasI
so numerous and persistent, that OH
November Is of that year | directeY
the commissioner of the general lank
office to suspend action on all entiel
made under said act in the La Granda
Lake View, Oregon City, and ThI
Dalles land offices in Oregon, the Et
reka, Redding, and Sacramento Offices
in California. and Seattle and VancOE
yer Offices in Washington, until propeE
Investigation thereof could be maaE
and their bona fides determined.
Irrigation Enterprises.
"In Washington the great body q
irrigable land is in the central par
of the state, within what is knoEb
as the Great Bend" of the ColumDAY
This land is below the level OF Iae~
Spokane river, at the foot OF SpoKalE
Falls, and may be reached by WaR
from this or other sources, II the COZ
is not prohibitory. The scheme sOnE
of gigantic proportions, and its le1
Utility can not be definitely determnsE
without careful surveys. Similar wv
les of land north of the Columbia, o.
near the Okanogan river, can Do
claimed probably at less cost.
"In Idaho, there are found to Dc ~E
eral opportunities for reclaiming IN
land with the waters of the Snake
er and it's tributaries, especlaip
utilizing as reservoirs the lakes ~
headwaters of the Snake. A asH
tract of land has been reserved Oh -
Snake river desert in the viclnli
the town of Dubois, and anotne'
low American Falls near MlnidoAa,
third project is that for irrissuI
lands lying between the BOISE
Payette rivers west of the Guy
Boise. I'm
During the year a very impcns
system of irrigation, conservatiSop
timated to cover about 2O,0Oo aci
land on the Yakima reserVaIios
Washington, was authorized by lIs
partment, and the same is now ~
constructed under the personal ~
vision of the irrigation inspec'ol.
Recently a decision was renuU
by the United States circuit coun
the district of Washington, souD
division, dismissing the bill nleu
IL, 1895, to enjoin Winans bfO'
from interfering with the nshs a,..tid2
other rights claimed by the ~
Indians under their treaty. ln .uk
has been appealed to a higne,
for final decree which will go'e
department and the Indian pureas Nj r
only in this case hereafter Ou' h.nE
err cases of a similar nature una
already arisen or that may rise