The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1905-12-14

dense that camera showed onl
Secretary Of the Interior should be au-
thOrizrd, In his discretion, to accept the
REIMBURSEMENT to the United States OF any
tract OF land Within forest reserve COW
cred by all unprotected bona fde claim
lawfully initiated or by patent, and 10
grant to the owner In lieu thereof tract
OF inappropriate vacant, surveyed, non
mineral public land In the same State or
Territory and OF approximately equal area
and value rs determined by an eXamina-
ton, report, and specific description by
public surveys Of both tracts TO be made
on the ground by officials OF the Govern
ment. When exchange under these condi-
tons cannot be affected, lands privately
owed within forest reserves should be pdld
f. rim cases where the public interest r.
Guircs that such lands should pass into
public ownership. The Secretary Of the III
t,rior should be authorized 70 tar" the n"e-
eSsary proceedings rs rapidly as the neces-
baIy funds are provided.
Timber and Stone Act.
The recommendations made for the re-
peal of the timber and stone act In the
previous rcpurts are renewed aAd tinpHa-
sized. Additioual facts showing the de-
structIve effect uf this law have strength
cu,i the belief Of your COMMIT sion tIat on
III" whole Its operation Is decidedly harm
fu, This Law has been made tLe vehicle
TO- inuuMcrabie frauds, Nad Tie Govern
n!cat has lost ami Is stil lostGs Yearly vast
s.s.s OF money through the sale or Nalu-
al. timber LANDS t. slor#.aful~, aud hence
Indirectly 10 large cor Orlt -, az prlce
far below their actual ya,t". From The
passage OF the act, June i, IS, 10 June
g.. igli. 55.3I2 claims fHr Ta3j.psS acres
of timber land MCrc lAtrNIvu Anuct It's
provisions, and on last dale I,GA claims
Tor llU>,uSU acres were 4 % Ing. Many
transfers Of land patented uh'.ar TINS law
afe made immediately upon 'mprtion OF
titi", often on the same day, u l.. '.lualS
and companies. In this way a monopoly or
the timber supplies of the rnh!lc-land
States is being created by Systematic COZ
lraiUn. Under the existing rules ald prac-
tires Of the courts it Is difficult TO prove
This collision, except In cases OF open
fraud and 1t Is therefore practically I'M
possible to secure conviction. Furthermore
under bona hde compliance with lie actual
provisions Of the Iaw the effect Is almost
equally bad. The law Itself Is seriously de-
II has been urged In behalf of this act
that It enables poor men to enjoy the
tracts of timber which they can Afterwards
cell with advantage. careful Study
seems to show, on the contrary, that the
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 par
of the profit.
In addition to the direct loss to tns
Government from the sale Of the lands IA
below their real value, timber lands Whiel
should have been preserved Tor tne use
the people are withdrawn from such Us
and the development Of the country Is re
tarded until the corporations which ow
The timber see 1T to cut 1t. The bona I'D
settler who comes into country, the tin
Der resources Of which have thus been al
eoIbed may he very seriously hampered
his inability to secure timber except froi
foreign corporation. All Of the dmbe
land has often passed beyond bis reaci
and tie development OF his farm may .
retarded and his expenses greatly increase
because he can no longer obtain the no
essay supplies Of fuel, rails, posts, On
lumber.
As in the case OF other laws, Instance
of the beneficial operation OF this act ma
be cited, but when II Is considered FRO
the polnt Of view Of the general Interest
the public II becomes obvious that this Ia
should be repealed.
Sale of Timber on the Public Land
Necessity for the enactment Of Ia
suthorlzing the sale Of timber on nonr
serve public land II becoming more e,
dent. and the recommendation made
the preceding report Of this Commissit
Are reiterated. For the hest use OF Il
nnhlic lands II II absolutely e-.--tial
hold public timber for sale when neeu
nnd IN quantities necessiated by the 60
tipucus efowth Of prevailing tndustrif
Provisioe should Be r-de for limit
free-sas hight By miners and actsn y
tlesA