Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1904-12-01
RESERVES
THERE APPEARS TO BE MORE
THAN REALLY NEEDED.
THE REPORT OF Mr.. RICHARDS
Recommends Care in the Establish
ment Of Reserves-Receipts for the
Year From Public Lands Not as
Great as in 1908.

WASHINGTON-In his annual re-
port for this year Commissioner Rich
ards of the general land office recon-
mends the exercise of more deliberate
consideration of preparations looking
to establishment of forest reserves
than has been exercised in the past.
The report adds: Both the import
ance of the objects to be accomplish
ed and the many local interests to be
considered necessitate great care in
proceeding further in this direction.
The government can we'll afford at
this juncture to delay action in estab-'
fishing additional reserves until the
force of forest experts now engaged
upon the work can, by practical field
examinations and scientific research,
establish beyond reasonable doubt in
what localities and to what extent fur
Their areas should be set apart for
this purpose"
During the last fiscal year nine re-
serves were created, bringing the total
number upto fifty-nine and increasing
the aggregate covered by forest reser-
vations to 62,763, 494 acres.
The report shows a falling off Of
S1,741, 401 in the total receipts of the
office as compared with the previous
year. and a decrease in the area Of
public land disposed of, amounting to
6 418 AT acres. With the exception OF
1903 the cash receipts were greater
than any previous year. The patents
fp
and exceeded those for any other
twelve months in the history of the
Office. The receipts were $9,283,341
and the land disposed of aggregated
10 400, S21 acres. OF this quantity TO-
III ,265 acres were entered under the
homestead law, 2,353,S54 were patent
ed as railroad selections and 1,306,261
unde. timber and stone entries.
Speaking of the frauds committed
under the timber and stone acts Mr.
Richa IS says: During the last year
it was decided to use the corps of
examiners of surveys to investigate in
the field all applications for surveys
which Alleged settlement and the re-
suit mas proven the wisdom of this
course.
in the timber. no real settlement
of any extent was found, but in most
cases a camping hut, without furni-
ture and destitute of the means Of
housekeeping, was all that the exam
liner could discover on the ground. It
was learned that these alleged settlers
resided in distant towns and cities and
| that thev were induced to lend their
names by promises of rewards after
the survey was accomplished, evident
ly having no intention to make their
| homes on the land. This investiga-
| ton has resulted in materially check
ing the absorption by INSCRIPTIONS
persons of the timber now standing
on the reserves"
With respect to unlawful Enclosures,
! 1877 reports were received, showing an
area of -,353, 6o7 acres of public land
unlawfully inclosed. Through the eff
forts of special agents, thirty-nine I'M
lawful enclosures, embracing 717,505
acres CT rubnc land, have been re-
moved and proceedings are pending
| to compel the remaining cases report
ed. Mr.. Richards says that specific in
structions have been given the spec
ial agents to secure the removal of all
unlawful inclosurees upon public
lands.