The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1905-12-08
ONE ENTRY IN THE DEEP OREGON FOREST.

Here the entrymsn swore that the claim wa
dense that camera showed onl
Secretary of the Interior should be au-
thorized. In his discretion, to accept the
REIMBURSEMENT TO the United States or any
tract OF land within forest reserve Gov
lawfully Initiated or by a patent, and TO
grant to the owner In lieu thereof tract
mineral public land In the same State or
Territory and OF approximately equal area
aud value as determined by an examina-
zion, report. and specific description by
public surveys OF both tracts 10 be made
On the SSand By officials Of the oea
lions cannot be affected. lands privately
owed within forest reserves should be paid
o.,r rn that - waef lands lnonid pass into
public ownership The Secretary Of the In
essary proceedings as rapidly the neces-
sGry funds are provided
Timber and Stone Act.
The recommendations made for the re-
peal OF the timber and stone act la the
previous reports are renewed and empha-
struetive eject OF this law have strength
eled the belief Of your Commission that on
fnl. This law has been made the vehicle
for lnnumerable frauds, and the Govern
meat has lost aud Is still losing yearly vast
suns Of money through the sale OF valu-
able timber lands 10 SPECTATORS. aud hence
Indirectly TO large corporations, at n price
Ear below their actual value From the
passage OF the act, June :. l5.s. 70 June
b.. 1904. 55.3T2 claims for I-Jy1,vsS acres
OF timber land were patented under It's
provisions aud on last date s,tfi claims
for I.1OS. $50 acres were pending. Many
transfers OF land patented under this law
are made immediately upon completion OF
title often on the same day. 10 iAt.vi1uais
and companies. In this way a monopoly OF
the timber supplies OF the puDlic-iand
iusion Under the existing rules and rrac-
tees Of the courts II Is difficult 10 prove
this coliuSion, except In Cases or open
fraud and It Is therefore practically I'm
possible to secure conviction Furthermore.
under bona nde compliance with LIE actual
provisions Of the law the effect - almost
equally bad. The Law Itself Is seriously de-
In has been urged In behalf OF this net
that It enables poor men TO enjoy the
bounty of the Government by obtaining
tracts of timber which they can afterwards
seems to show. on the contrary, that the
original entrymen rarely realize more than
ordinary wages for the time spent In max
ing the entry and completing the transfer.
The corporations which ultimately secure
title usually absorb by far the greater part
In addition to the direct loss to the
Government from the sale OF the lands Tar
below their real value. timber lands which
should have been preserved for the use OF
the people are Withdrawn from such use
and the development OF the country Is re
farded until the corporations which own
the timber see 1T TO cut IL. The bona dde
ssr wHe on wheS have shGs been ab
serbed. may be very seriously hampered by
land has often passed beyond his reach,
and the development of his farm may b.
retarded and his expenses greatly increased
because he can no longer obtain the nee
essary supplies Of fuel. rails. posts. and
lumber.
As In the case OF other laws. instance.
OF the beneficial operation OF this act mny
be cited. but when IL l. considered from
the point Of view OF the general interest o.
the public 1t becomes obvious that this law
should be repealed.
Sale Of Timber on the Public Lands
Necessity for the enactment Of q Law
authorizing the sale OF timber nonre
serve public land II becoming more evi
dent. and the Recommendations made II
the preceding report IL this Commission
are reiterated For the best use OF tn,
public lands II II absolutely essential Il
hold public timber for sale when needes
mud In quantities necessiated by the crn
Provision should b made for . Limited
freeuse right By miners and actual ~