The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1903-11-21
LAND BILL.
REPEALs TIMBER AND STONE
senator HansborOuEh. Of North Dakota.
Has Introduced BIII That ARsets
Western Timber stsses-AsthOrIEss
Government Estimates Of Timber.

An important land bill has been
introduced In congress by Senator
Marlborough and referred to the
public land committee. Of which he
10 chairman. The measure il intend.
ed 10 cure the defects In existing
laws.
The bill by implication repeals the
timber and stone act, under which
land IL now acquired at %. so pre-
acre, regardless OF its real value.
The bill then authorizes the secretary
OF the interior TO make examinations
and estimates relative TO the quantity
and value Of the timber or stone on
the public lands and TO sell the right
to cut and dispose of the same In
such quantities as may seem advisable
TO the highest bidder. This is the
plan that il now being 50 successfully
pursued In the. sale Of timber on
Indian lands In Minnesota. Under
the proposed bill, the title TO the
land remains In the government,
and the secretary OF the interior may
Ok the limit Of time in which the
purchaser Of the right shall remove
the timber or stone. The right 70
cut the timber and make il a
merchantable quantity is made in.
alienable. II this measure becomes
law all the timber on the public
domain 10 withdrawn from public
entry and the government enters
upon the policy Of disposing CT its
timber at its market value. There
IL provision In the bill which pro.
hibits the entry Of these lands under
the Homestead or other land laws.
and forbids the laying OF script
thereon. In this way, and by retain
Ing the fee TO the land, reforestra-
tion will take place and the sale OF
the timber By the government will
be a source Of considerable revenue.
II puts q quietus upon speculation In
public timber land and an end TO the
frauds which hare recently grown
into . national scandal.
The second section Of the bill IL q
necessary coneomitAnt 60 the FIRST.
Il amends the lieu land selection act
90 "A 70 provide that when a settler
whose entry falls within the forest
reserve selects another piece OF land
In lieu Of his original entry, the land
10 selected must be more valuable for
agricultural purposes than for timber
or stone. Under existing laws, many
Of the entrymen who find themselves
within the forest reserve proceed &c
cut and dispose Of the timber on the
land and then go outside the reserve
and Gle q homestead upon Other
timber lard.
The third section Of the bill
amends the act Of March IL, 1909.
which provides under the several land
LAWS proof may be made before United
States Court Commissioners or locai
courts Of record. The proposed
amendment requires all proofs al
COMMITTED homestead and desert land
entries TO be made hereafter before
the registers and receivers in local
land ofilcee. The fact has been quit,
fully established, upon information
received at the general land offlce,
that nearly all the proofs concerning
which there is any question as L
regularity are those which are nov
made before local courts and couri
commissioners. This proposed amend
ment to existing Law is recommended
by the commissioner OF the genera
land office, who in his last repor'
says; THE privileges gained b!
the act have been greatly abused,
particularly by United States Com
missioners, who have often beer
parties to wholesale frauds In con
nection with proofs made betor'
them,