The Breckenridge news., 1905-12-13

utllsb ludL camera showed Oh
Secretary of the Interior should be M
thor.zcd. I'm his discretion, TO accept tn,
REIMBURSEMENT TO the United States of an
tract OF land within a forest reserve coy
cred by an unprotected bona fde CLAIM
lawfully Initiated or 10y a patent, and L
grant To the owner I'm lieu thereof trac
or unapprOpriatcd, vacant, surveyed, non
mineral public land in the same State oil
Territory and Of approximately equal area
and value as determined by an examina
tOu, report. ana specific description by
public surveys Of both tracts to be made
on the ground by officials Of the Govern
Iuent. When exchange under these condl-
tions cannot be affected, lands privately
owed within forest reserves should be paid
10 rim cases where the public interest re-
qulres that such lands should pass into
terlor should be- authorized TO take the nec-
essary proceedings as rapidly as the neces-
sary funds are provided.
Timber and Stone Act.
1 he recommendations made for the re-
peal Of the tlmber aud stone act I'm the
previous reports are renewed and empha-
sized. Additional facts showing the de-
structlye effect Of this law have strength
ened the belief Of your Commission that on
the whole Its operation IS decidedly harm
full This law has been made the vehicle
for inuumcrable frauds, and the Govern
meut has lost ana Is still losing yearly vast
sums of money through the sale of yalu-
able timber luuds TO Spectators, and hence
indirectly 20 large corporations, at price
passage Of the act June 3, 1s1S. TO June
80, 1904. 5j,3I2 claims for 7.J9G,O1S acres
OF timber land were patented under Its
provisions, and on last date 7,GI4 claims
FOR l,lOS,3SO acres were pending Many
transfers OF land patented under this law
are made Immediately upon completion of
title, often on the same day, TO individuals
and companies. In this way a monopoly Of
the timber supplies Of the public-land
States is being created by systematic col
lusOn. Under the existing rules and prac-
tees OF the courts 1t Is difficult to prove
this colluSion, except In cases OF open
fraud ana II is therefore practically i'm
possible TO secure conviction. Furthermore,
under bona ile compliance with tue actual
provisions Of the law the effect is almost
equally bad The law itself is seriously de-
fective.
It has been urged in behalf Of this act
that II enables poor men to enjoy the
bounty ~ 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 aud completing the transfer
The corporations which ultimately secure
title usually absorb by far the greater part
OF the profit
In addition 10 the direct loss to the
Government from the sale OF the lands far
below their real value, timber lands which
should have been preserved for the use Of
the people are withdrawn from such use
tarded until I corporations which own
the timber see fit TO cut II. The bona fide
settler who comes into n country the tim
ber resources OF which have thus been alb
sorbed, may be very seriously hampered by
his inability to secure timber except from
n foreign corporation. All OF the timber
land has often passed beyond his reach,
and the development Of his farm may be
retarded and bis expenses greatly increased
because he can no longer obtain the noe
essary supplies Of fuel, rails, posts, and
lumber
As in the case OF other laws, instances
OF the beneficial operation Of this act may
be cited. but when It is considered from
the point Of view of the general interest OF
the public II becomes obvious that this law
should be repealed.
Sale of Timber on the Public Lands.
Necessity for the enactment Of law
authorizing the sale OF timber on nonre-
serve public land is becoming more evil
dent, and the recommendations made In
the preceding report Of this Commission
are reiterated. For the best use of the
public lands II is absolutely essential to
hold public timber for sale when needed
and In quantities necessiated by the con-
tinuous growth OF prevailing Industries.
Provision should be made for limited
free-use right by miners and actual set
tiers.