The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1907-12-11
ON PUBLIC LANDS

Judge r. A. Ballinger. commits
sioner of the general land office,
makes some radical recommends
tons regarding public land legisla-
ton, in his annual report, which
has been made public and these
recommendations, it is stated. have
the approval OF Secretary James r.
Garfield. In part the commissions
er's report says:
Il respectfully recommend that al.
lands be brought under a general
classification, defined substantially
as follows:
Il. Agricultural Iands-That al
lands suitable for agricultural pur-
| poses or capable of being brought
under cultivation. or capable of
producing crops of Wild hay, or suit
able for agricultural purposes only
when artificially irrigated be classed
as agricultural lands; provided, how
ever. that they do not contain valu-
able deposits of mineral or timber
for numbering purposes as defined
| below.
60 Pasture lands-That all lands
which are wholly unfit for cultiva-
| ton. or which can not, under reason
able conditions, be brought under
cultivation be classed rs pasture
lands; provided however, they do
not contain valuable deposits OF min
eral or timber suitable for numbering
purposes as defined below.
90 Timber lands-That all lands
outside national forests containing
timber suitable for numbering pur-
poses Chat is, land containing mill
ling timber to the average extent of
5000 feet per acre west of the Cas-
cades and Sierra Coast ranges of
mountains and 5000 feet per acre
east of said mountain ranges. to each
100 acres) be classed as timber
lands. When the timber shall have
been removed such land shall be
classed as agricultural. pasture or
mineral land, as the case may be.
"A. Coal lands-That all lands
containing coal which can be mined
at a profit be classed as coal land,
provided they shall not be more val
liable for deposits of gold, silver.
copper or other metals: and provid-
ed further. that such land shall be
excluded from each of the foregoing
classes and shall de disposed of only
with ample supervisory powers re-
tanned.
This classification should be made
effectual by a general act Of con-
gross defining it, substantially as
aforesaid, without disturbing the
present mining laws relating to lode
and placer claims and declaring the
manner of disposition of the several
existing laws or appropriate provis-
ions to be set forth in the act. AS
TO each of the foregoing classified
tons there should be reposed in the
secretary of the interior the con-
linuing power of reclassifcation to
meet changing conditions. which
may necessitate the transfer of lands
from one class to another
I'm view of the foregoing 1 recon-
mend that lands classed as pasture
lands be leased to citizens of the
United States who are owners of adj
jacent lands of bona fide residents
Of the states where the lands lie,
that the money derived therefrom.
after deducting expenses of admins
tration, be paid to the states wherein
the leased lands are situated, for
use in the support OF the common
schools, or that the lands be segre-
gated into such grazing blocks as
shall be naturally appurtenant to the
adjacent cultivated lands and sold
At fixed prices with preference to
purchase in the owner of contiguous
culticated lands.
"The timber land acts above re-
ferred to should be released and the
timber upon the remaining public
lands disposed of by the secretary
Of the interior at public sale, upon
application therefor, after scaling
and approval, or upon stumpage
basis similar to the method now ex-
ercised by the department in the
Chippewa Indian lands in Minnesota.
would advise that any such meas
ure that bona fide applicant to
homestead a tract of timber land
should have a preference right to
purchase at the top price bid, upon
payment of a reasonable percentage
of the bid, and under such purchase
the timber should not be removed
until the entryman has complied
with the law as to residence and cul-
tivation and made full payment for