, 1905-12-22
SOLDIERS ADDITIONAL SCRIP.

Commissioner w. A. Richards recon-
mends the limitation of the right under
the law granting additional rights to
soldiers and sailors of the war of the
rebellion who made homestead entry
of less than 100 acres of land prior to
June 90, 1874. This right was extend
ed by Sec. 23O7 revised statutes, to the
widows, If unmarried; otherwise to the
minor orphan by proper guardian. If
there be no widow, unmarried, and no
minor orphan children, the right is
held to be an asset of the soldier en-
tryman's estate, to be disposed Of by
his legal representative as other per-
sonal property.
The commissioner says
During the fiscal year ended June
80, 1905, there We're received GIT appli-
cations by assignees of soldiers to
make entries under this law, and 39S
applications have been cancelled or re-
jected, the cancellations or reflections
In probably so per cent thereof being
by reason of fraudulent assignment or
where the right did not exist.
Experience has demonstrated the
necessity for a rigid inspection of
these claims, as many cases have been
duplicated n numerous alleged rights
are being passed from hand to hand,
which are in truth and in fact fraudu.
lent These rights, under the rules,
can be presented at any local office for
a tract of land, and the land thus ap
piled for is withdrawn from other dis
position until the land department shall
in due course of business have exam.
med the papers upon which the right
la based. If upon such examination
the papers are found defective or fraud
ulent, the applicant may substitute N
other right in lieu of the fraudulent one
n thereby continue to withhold the
land from appropriation by BONA hde
applicants.
Since the passage of the act of June
s, 1872, there have been POSTS addi-
tonal entries made Hereunder, aggre-
eating, approximately, 1,630,040 acres,
A large number of the claims now be.
ing transferred and filed are made by
administrators for the benefit Of the
estate of the deceased soldier, and it
is believed that the purpose of the stat
ute has been to a great extent prac.
tically effected, as the real beneici-
aries at this time seem to be specula,
tors and dealers in said claims.
"A due consideration of the condi-
tons above alluded to suggests the
recommendation, hereby made, that
congress be asked to limit the time
within which the rights conferred by
the law referred to must be initiated,
and to provide that all rights not duly
initiated within the prescribed period
shall thereafter be barred, invalid, and
of no effect.
"The period of limitation might
properly be fixed as one year from the
approval of the act prescribing 1t; and
the rights of those who, at the expira-
ton of such period, might be incapable
OF asserting the anne by a of a
then existing disability, might be am
ply protected by providing for a due
assertion within a like period, say one
year, from the removal of the disabil-
lty. 1t is not conceived how the right
of any one entitled under the law al
luded to could be prejudiced by the
act recommended, while the effect
thereof would be a great advantage in
the due administration Of the public
land laws"
AS will be seen by the report of the
commissioner, more than 60 per cent
OF the scrip filings were found defec-