The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1905-12-15

dense that camera showed or
Secretary of the Interior should be au
th0rlzed, In his discretion, to accept tht
REIMBURSEMENT to the United States of ans
tract Of land within a forest reserve Gov
cred by an unprotected bona 6de claim
y lawfully initiated or by q patent, and gtt
grant TO the owner In lieu thereof q tract
OF unapproprlated, vacant, surveyed, non
mineral public land In the same State OF
Territory aud Of approximately equal ares
and value as determined by an exanIintl-
public surveys Of both tracts to be made
on the ground by officials Of the Govern.
ment. When exchange under these c0ndi-
lions cannot be affected, lands privately
owed within forest reserves should be paid
TO rim cases where the public interest re-
quires that such lands should pass Into
public ownership. The Secretary OF the In
terror should be authorized to take the nee
egSary proceedings ms rapidly as the neceS-
sary funds are provided.
Timber and Stone Act.
The recommendations made for the re-
peal of the timber and stone act In the
previous reports are renewed and empha-
sized. Additional facts showing the de-
structive effect Df 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 tHnumerable FRAUDS, and the Govern
meat has lost aud Is still losing yearly vast
sums Of money through the sale Of yau-
able timber lands to spectators, and hence
far below their actual value. From the
massage OF the act, June 3, 1875 to June
80 1904. 5S,3z2 elalms for z ,596,078 acres
Of timber land were patented under hts
provisions, aud on last date Z Ga claims
for 1,10S $50 acres were pending Many
transfers OF land patented under this law
are made immediately upon completion OF
title. often on the same day, to fadivluuais
and companies. In this way monopoly OF
the timber supplies Of the public-and
States IL being created by systematic col
iusI0n. Under the existing rules aud prac-
tees Of the courts It Il difficult to prove
this colluslon, except In cases or open
fraud ana 1t Is therefore practically Inn
possible to secure conviction. Furthermore,
under bona tide compliance with tae actual
provisions OF the law the pifect IL almost
equally bad The law itself Is seriously de-
if has been urged In behalf OF this art
TINT 1t enables poor men to enjoy the
bounty of the Government by obtaining
tracts of timber which they can afterwards
sell with advantages A eareful study
seems 10 show, on the contrary, that the
original entrynen rarely realize more thnn
ordinary wages for the time spent IA mak-
ing the entry and completing the transfer.
The corporations which ultimately secure
title usually absorb by far the greater part
Of the profit
In addition to the direct loss to the
Government from the sale OF the lands far
below their real value, timber lands wnicn
should have been preserved Tor the use OF
the people are WITHDRAWN from such use
aud the Development or the country is re.
tarded until the corporations which own
the timber see 1T to cut It. The bona Ode
settler who comes into a country, the tim
Der resources of which have thus been abb
e0fhed, may gae very seriously hampe7ed by
his Inability to secure timber except from
d foreign corporation All Of the timber
iand has often passed beyond his reach,
and the development OF his farm may be
retarded ana HIS expenses greatly increased
because he can no longer obtain the nee
essary supplies OF fuel. rails, posts and
lumber
Az III the case OF other laws, instances
of the beneficial operation OF this act may
he cited hut when It Is considered from
the point Of view Of the general interest Of
the public It becomes obvious that this law
should be repealed.
Sale of Timber on the Public Lands.
Necessity for the enactment of "A law
authorizing the sale OF timber on nonre-
serve public land II becoming more evil
dent, and the Recommendations made 10
the preceding report Of this Commission
are reiterated For the best use Of the
public lands It Is absolutely essential to
hold public timber for sale when needed
and in quantities necesslatad hv the con-
glnuous growth 81 prevailing Industries,
Provision shpusd be made for n limited
freesnse right b. miners ana actual set.
tiers