The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-07
UNCLE SAM NOW
PROBING IN UTAH
Transfer of Coal Lands Looks
Crooked.
70 TIMBER ENTRIES HERE
WHY 1T rs DIFFICULT TO PROVE
FRAUD.

Ai LII the land fraud Investigations
w extend into Utah? This is the
question many anxious men are
asking themselves as they read Of the
sensational developments in Oregon,
and OF the threatened investigations in
other nearby states. If Utah is brought
within the scope of the investigation by
the federal government it is clear that
the probing is 10 include more tnan
the timber land cases Frank d. Hobbs.
register of the United States land of
nee, says there has not been a timber.
land entry made in Utah since he took
charge of his office eight years ago in
TACT, there IS no land in the state con-
slaered valuable because OF the timber
growing upon il.
But should the investigation extend
10 mineral and coal lands there is liable
70 be d lively scUrrying even in Utah
II mas been notorious for years that
S|hdlcates have been grabbing I'D val
liable lands i'm portions of tho state
and up 20 this time no legal method has
been discovered for preventing it Two
special agents Of the general land Of
nee are in the city now, and have been
IN the state for months probing into
conditions with special relation TO the
transfer of coal lands.
Many Contests Over Land.
Most Of the contests that come be-
fore the local land Office arise out of
controversies over state lands Under
the land grant Utah is authorized to
select large areas Of agricultural lands.
put no mineral lands. Often lands are
selected as agricultural lands which
are IN fact. also good coal lands. In
these cases contest is started by some
person who desires 10 enter some OF
lheSe as homeSteads or desert lands.
In this way they can be secured much
from 2
theSe cases are decided one way and
some another The evidence is collect
ed and the case tried in the local land
ONCE The final decision is made nv
Ihe general land office in Washington.
But there have been other contests
ana some OF these may form the basis
Ior a general investigation by the ma
tlonal government Valuable cOaI landsE
nave been entered as hOmesteads by
men understood 10 be in the employ of
certain syndicate or corporation.
Then as soon as the title is secured by
the individual the land is transferred
to the corporation. 1t is almost impos-
sible to guard against fraud Of this
kind. and it viii be extremely difficult
to establish a case even If the search
light is turned on by Uncle sam
How Schemes Are Worked.
An instance To show what obstacles
stand in the way of a fair and equita-
Die enforcement OF the law in relation
not Ions since a tract Of ZS000 acres
was secured from the state as agricUl-
tural lands The claim was made that
most of this was coal land. The repre-
sentative Of the general government
went over the land. He found vein
of eleven feet of fine coal cropping out
in canyon and running back under
the land with a slight dip But for the
reason that he could not discover the
coal on each forty acres the department
rlsa
land was agricultural In another in
stance this Inspector became satisfied
. that valuable coal lands had been en-
tered in the interest of q corporation
4 The men who made the entries were
ordinary workinSmeu- number Of
the entries were made by women. The
charges amounted 10 upward Of SO 600.
! The inspector was satisfied that the
people who made the entries and took
the OathS could pay no such sum OF
money. He went to the land Office i'm
this city 10 see who had paid the $4,000.
He found that the entire sum had been
paid in one cashiers check. furnishing
absolutely no evidence as to who paid
the bill
1t is thought that the first move TO
be made in case the inVestiE cation
comes to Utah Will be 20 call upon the
recorders of the various counties 70
furnish the government with records
of the transfers of land. By this means
IL Will be shown that men who have
entered government land under the
homestead or desert land laws have
promptly transferred them, and if
| these transfers show concerted action,
! that is If many OF the transfers have
| been made to the same person or cor
pOratiOn II will be considered sufficient
ground for a rigid Investigation.
Hard to Make Case.
Even with the conditions indicated
| here established beyond question it win
/ be difficult for the government to make
q case unless some Of the interested
4 parties turn states evidence. as was
/ the case in Oregon. 1t must be estab-
/ lished that the original entry was made
with intent to commit fraud ANY man
who would make the entry and take
/ oath that the land was for his own
/ personal use and then transfer it to n
/ corporation as soon as his title was
/ clear, would have no trouble in swear
/ ing afterwaTd that when he made the
! entry it was his intention TO hold the
| land for his own use. but that later he
| changed his mind and sold it. In that
| case the government would be practi-
/ cally helpless because of the difnculty
! in securing testimony to establish the
/ fraudulent intent
/ The local representatives Of the gov
] eminent in the land Office profess to
/ know nothing whatever concerning
/ proposed Investigations IN Utah but it
! is known that uneasinesS exists in GER
! tain quarters and the Developments in
/ the northwest are watched with the