, 1904-02-02
M0NDELL ON THE
LIEU LAND LAW"
DISCUSSES BILL FOR THE COR.
REcTioN OF ABUSES AS
THEY NOW EXIST,
Many Thousands Of Acres in Forest
Reserves Surrendered After Being
0enuded Of Their Forests and
Good Lands Taken in Lieu There
of-Passage Of Bill in Interest.

Win tue pTOpOSlliOu, HOW can tne
timber lands of the public domain be
protected" Ten or fifteen years ago
it was decided to segregate from the
lands opened for settlement vast areas
in the timbered region, which should
be reserved as national forests. Under
this policy a total Of nearly IS. 00O, 900
acres have been withdrawn from set.
tlement and placed in the list of for
est reserve lands" In carrying out the
executive orders creating these re-
serves it was found that many thou
sands of acres within the confines OF
the areas SO segregated were the prop
erty of railroad corporations and in
dividuals and in consequence it was
found necessary to give these private
owners an opportunity to select other
lands "in lieu Of those surrendered to
the government
This so-called lieu land law has
been greatly abused. Railroads have
denuded their holdings of the original
timber and have been selecting in
lieu thereof some of the most valu-
able pine lands the government still
owns. Up to the present time about
2 1000, 900 acres have been surrender
ed" and almost as many acres of valu-
able timber lands have been transfer
red from the government as compensa-
ton therefor. So great has the abuse
become that congress is called upon
to act promptly to prevent the further
looting of the remaining pine lants.
In reporting a. bill for the correction
Of existing abuses Representative Mon
dell of Wyoming, from the committee
IN public lands. says: 1T is very clear
that comparatively few actual settlers
Ions of the lieu.land law; that the
principal beneficiaries have been the
owners of railroad and state school
lands. 1t also appears from the tables
that there is at this time over 1900 0
acres Of lands within the primary linn
its of railroad land grants, which are
available as basis for the selection of
an equal area of valuable timber land:
that there are over 600 900 acres of
such lands under contract for survey
which will be available for the same
purpose when surveyed in the near
future, and that there are over 1,000,-
900 acres Of such lands which will IN
doubtedly be surveyed in the near fu-
ture, making in all 2,4S1. $50 acres of
land within the primary limits Of rail
will be In the near future avail
able for lieu selections. and most
valuable timber lands in the ma
tion may be and undoubtedly will be X
changed If the bill in question does
not become a law.
IN addition to this asst acreage Of
lands within the primary limits Of rail-
way land grants which can be eX-
changed for valuable timber lands
there are undoubtedly large in
the forest reserves Of indemnity rail
road lands, as well as other large hold
ings, which can be exchanged for tim
Der lands. Some Of these lands are
now covered with forests, of which
they are being denuded as rapidly as
possible in order that the denuded, or
cut-over, lands may be exchanged for
other forest lands.
The inclusion within forest re-
serve Of 30 large an area of railroad
lands Tin the neighborhood Of $780,
900 acres within primary limits. and
thousands of acres more of indemnity
lands) which could be used as bases
for lieu selections, II such lands were
all of them Of a character imperatively
demanding their reservation for the
conservation Of water supply and the
preservation of timber for future use
as contemplated by the spirit Of the act
authorizing the creation of forest r
serves, might perhaps be justified and
defended on the ground Of wise public
policy, even though such action result
ed in the ASSERTION Of large tracts of
public domain in lieu selections. But
large areas Of railroad and other lands
in private ownership have been includ-
ed in the absorption of large tracts of
generally timbered or of any consider
able value for water conservation, or
for any other purpose contemplated
by the forest reserve law, the inclu-
sion of which within reserves has CIV
en- the owners Of such lands an oppor-
tunity to possess themselves, by ex-
change, Of some of the best timber
lands of the nation.
The committee agrees with the
secretary Of the interior and the com
missioner OF the general land ONCE
that the passage of the bill is In the
interest Of public policy. and that 1t is
urgently demanded in view Of the pres
emit situation in order TO prevent the
absorption of millions Of acres Of pub
lie timber by lieu-right locations. AS
pointed out in the commissioners re
port, those seeking to make the change
have no cause to complain Of the pro
visions Of the bill, - the exchange is
not compulsory, and II It IL desired to