The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-12-21
ORDER MODIFIED
WITHDRAWAL OF LANDS FROM
ENTRY LESS STRINGENT.
WANTS LAND LAWS CHANGED
President Urges Repeal of Timber and
Stone Act-Also Changes in or Re
peal Of Desert Land Act and Com
mutation Clause Of Homestead

peal OF OeSert Lana NCt ana Som-
mutation Clause of Homestead
Law.
Washington.-The President Mon
day issued an order to the Interior De-
partment to modify its order with
drawing from all forms of entry large
areas of public lands in the West re-
ported by the Geological Survey to be
underlaid with coal, so that in future
entries upon these lands may be made
nader all forms OF entry excepting as
coal land filings.
Viligance will be exercised IN ac-
cepting proofs to determine whether
lands sought to be acquired are more
valuable for coal or other mineral de-
posts than for agriculture.
Declaring that the public domain is
fast being Eobbled by great corpora
lions and spectators under existing
laws, the President on Monday sent n
message to Congress urging the repeal
of the timber and stone act, repeal or
revision OF the desert land act and rad
ical revision, if not repeal, of the COM
mutation clause of the homestead act.
The Presidents message on the sub
feet of the public lands as read to Con-
grcss, follows:
1.-THE developments of the past year
emphasize with increasing force the
need of vigorous and immediate action
to Iecast the public land laws and
adapt them to the actual situation. The
timber ana stone act ha, demonstrated
conclusivoly that its effect is to turn
over the public timber lands to great
corporations. 1t has done enormous
harm, it is no longer needed, and 1t
should be repealed
The desert land act results so fire.
quently in fraud and so comparatively
seldom in making homes on the land
that it demands radical amendment.
That provision which permits assign
ment before patent should be repealed
and the entryman should be required
to live for not less than two years at
home on the land before patent issues.
Otherwise the desert land law will con
tinue to assist spectators and other
large holders to get control of land and
water on the public domain by indefen-
sble means.
The Communication clause of the
! homestead act serves, in a majority or
cases. to defeat the purpose of the
| homestead act itself which is to facili-
| tate settlement and create homes. In
| theory the Communication clause should
| assist the honest settler. and doubtless
| in some cases it does So Far more
| often il supplies the means by which
| spectators and loan ana mortgage
| companies secure possession Of the
| land ACtual-uot constructive living
AZ home on the land for three years
should be required before cnnmuta-
ton. unless it should appear wiser to
| repeal the Communication clause alto
gether.
These matters are more fully dis
| In, gf tho u11fIir lands
commission, to which | again call your
| attention
81 am gravelv concerned at the ex-
| tremely unsatisfactory condition of the
public land laws and at the prevalence
of fraud under their present provisions.
| For much of this fraud the present
laws are chiefly responsible. There is
| but one way bv which the fraudulent
| acquisition of these lands. can be def
nitoly stopped. and therefore have di-
rected the secretary of the interior to
| allow no patent to be issued to public
lanis under any law until by an exam
| nation On the ground actual compll-
anCe with that law has been found to
exist
For this purpose an increase OF spe-
| cidl agents in the general land office is
| urgently required; unless II is given,
| bona fide would-be settlers will be put
/ 10 grave INCONVENIENCE, vi tiSt INC
| fraud will in large part go on. Further,
the secretary of the interior should be
enabled to employ enough mining ex-
perts TO examine the validity of all
| mineral lana claims and to undertake
the supervision and control of the use
OF the mineral fuels still belonging to
the United States. The present coal
law, limiting the individual entry to
| 100 acres, puts premium on fraud by
| making 1t impossible to develop certain
| types of coal fields and yet comply with
| the law. 1t is scandal to maintain
| laws which sound well, but which make
| fraud the key without which great nat
| ural resources must remain closed. The
| law should give individuals and corpor
| atoms under proper government regu
lation and control Ghe details of which
| | shall not at present discuss), the
right to work bodies of coal land large
enough for profitable development. Ny
own belief is that there should be pro
vision for leasing coal, oil and gas
rights under proper restrictions. L
the additional force of special agents
and mining experts | recommend i,
provided and well used. the result will
\ be not only to stop the land frauds, hu
to prevent delays in pateuting lant
| claims, and to conserve the indispen
| sable fuel resources of the nation"