The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-29

submarine line.far shorterN than that re-
Gently put in operation between San
Franciscoand Msnila.bywayso Hawaii.
Our Public Domain.
ANthe meeting Of aheN National Irriga-
'tion Congress held In Portland, Ore,
q few days ago. Mr.. JAMES j. HILL at
tackled our public La I'D laws and called
attention to q system which, beyond any
question, demands correction. He said:
tho need Of moro land spaces for tho homo
builders, Is created by the rapid settlement of tho
country and procipitassd and aggravated by tho
insane policy OF Land laws. which tend toward tho
exhAus,ton Of the public domain by-the land Inonop-
ollst and Spectator. Except tn . few selected
spots. w,ere tho influence of TIN railroad com.
panies a. colonizers has been exercised 70 secure
cu,ivators 10 small srscarcely 10 b. rsckoned
with"
Mr.. HILL and President ROOSEVELT
are long way apart or,the question Of
Government regulation op railway rates.
but they are in full and complete har-
mony respecting the need, for d thorough
revision Of our land laws. In a commu-
nication submitted to Congress. under
date Of. February is. 1905. with = partial
report Of the Public Y lands Commission
which was appointed October 20, 1908,
Mr. ROOSEVELT said:
liam, In full sympathy With the general oonciu-
dons Of tho commission In Substance and In g.
sence. Theexistng conditions. a. set forth In this
report. scom TO require radical revision OF most
Of tho laws affecting tho public. domain. II We
To SECURE tho best possible use OF tho remaining
public lands by actual homo makers"
The,conchsions with which the Presi-
dent agrees 50 fully are, briefly, that
our present land laws are antiquated
and utterly unsuited to present condi-
tons. and that their continuance can
result only'in serious loss and injury to
the nation.
The report of the commission states
that tho total area Of the public lands Of
the United States, exclusive OF Alaska,
was originally 1,441 ,43e.ls0 acres. OF
this on June 80, 1904, only 473,s3o, 4O2
acres, or about one-third OF the original
area. remained as property Of the ma
ton. The financial loss to the country
under the operation Of the present laws
in comparison with that which might
and should be done under new laws,
finds illustration in an experience re-
ferred to in the report Of the commits
sion.
In December. 1908, standing timber
on It's, 1893 acres Of land in the coded por-
ton Of tho Chippewa Indian Reserva-
ton. in Minnesota, was sold for $780,
9O3, or at the rate Of SIS. O8 per acre. This
covered only the timber, and the title to
the land remained with the Government
Had this land been disposed Of in the
customary manner, under the timber
and stone act of June 3, 1873, the land.
timber and all would have brought $3.50
per acre. or $43s, 7O7, with title to the land
transferred to the purchaser. By the
system employed in the case, the Gov
eminent obtained more than two and a
quarter millions Of dollars, and still
owns the land. The commission recon-
timber and stone act.
The precise nature OF large areas OF
the public domain is known only in a
general way. The report says that "the
agricultural possibilities Of the remaining
public lands are as yet almost unknown.
Lands which a generation ago, or even
a decade ago, we're supposed to be value
less are. now producing large crops,
either with or without irrigation The
commission declares that until it can be
= definitely ascertained that any given
area Of the public lands is and in all prob
ability forever will remain unsuited to
agricultural development the title to
that land should remain in the central
Government in trust for the future
settler" This would prevent the specu-
lative absorption Of large areas which
may be rendered fertile and valuable
under the reclamation act.
The public domain problem is huge
and complicated. The glazing faults
Of the present system find illustration
in the legal proceedings in the Federal
Courts in California against BENSON.
HYDE, DIMoND and others, for conspir-
acy to defraud the Government in the
matter OF forest land reserves, and in the
more recent proceedings OF the Interior
against MITCHELL, HER
MANN, WILLIAMSON, HALL, FRANKLIN
and some sixty others on similar charges.
By what conceivable process is it posi-
bic for one group Of men to acquire hon
sstly the title to domain aggregating
"A, 5s0. 200 acres Of Government landf
Yet this area, equal to three times that
If the State OF New Jersey, or one-half
hat of the State Of New York. 10 claimed
~ a few men who have an office in San |
Francisco.
Public lands as we'll as public offloe |
ire public trust. Under laws framed