Amador ledger., 1905-12-22

Secretary of the Interior should be au-
thorized, In his discretion, to accept the
REIMBURSEMENT to the United States Of any
tract OF land within forest reserve COW
cred by an unprotected bona fide claim
lawfully initiated or by patent, and to
grant to the owner In lieu thereof tract
Of unappropriated, vacant, surveyed, nom
mineral public land in the same State or
Territory and of approximately equal area
and value as determined by an examina-
ton, report, and specific description by
public surveys of both tracts to be made
on the ground by officials of the Govern
ment. When exchange under these condi-
tions cannot be affected, lands privately
owed within forest reserves should be paid
70 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
essary proceedings as 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 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 innumerable frauds, and the Govern
ment has lost and Is still losing yearly vast
sums of money through the sale of valu-
indirectly to large corporations, at a price
far below their actual value. From the
passage of the act, June 3, 1873, to June
30 1904, 55,372 claims for 7,596,07S acres
of timber land were patented under Its
provisions, and on last date 1874 claims
for 1, 1,10s,3S0 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
fusion. Under the existing rules and prac-
tices Of the courts it is difficult to prove
this collusion, except In cases or open
fraud and it is therefore practically i'm
possible to secure conviction. Furthermore,
under bona fide compliance with the actual
provisions of the law the effect is almost
equally bad. The law itself is seriously de-
fective.
1t has been urged in behalf of this act
that 1t enables poor men to enjoy the
bounty of the Government by obtaining
tracts Of timber which they can afterwards
sell with advantage. A careful study
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 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 which
should have been preserved for the use Of
the people are withdrawn from such use
and the development Of the country is re-
tarded until the corporations which own
the timber see fit to cut it. The bona fide
settler who comes into-a 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
foreign corporation. All of the timber
land has often passed beyond his reach,
and the development of his farm may be
retarded and his expenses greatly increased
because he can no longer obtain the nee
.eesary 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 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 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 it is absolutely essential to
hold public timber for sale when needed
and in quantities necessated by the con
tinuous growth of prevailing industries
Provision should be made for a limited
free-use right by miners and actual set
tiers.
A virgin is a maid: when verging OF
On iS oo11od on old maid