, 1907-02-28
r MONDELL NOW.

AS a parting shot at Congressman
Mondell, who has been grilling Secre,
tary Hitchcock in a manner that has
been at once CALLING n distasteful to
the cabinet officer, the latter has beer
attempting to fasten fraud upon the
congressman. He alleges that Mr.
Mondell has maze a homestead entry
and final proof thereon in n manner
%warrnntlng investigation. James Cal
Ian OLaughlin, the Chicago Tribune
correspondent at Washington, says:
Representative Mondell of Wyo-
ming induced the house of representa-.
tives last week to adopt an amendment
to the sundry civil bill f%orbidding the
examination Of lands embraced in any
entry on which final proof has been
made unless the interior department
has information furnishing good
grounds to suspect fraud or noncompli'
ance with the law as to that specific
entry.
while Mr.. Mondell was advocating
this amendment Secretary Hitchcock
learned that the Wyoming represen-
tative had filed nnai proof for a pat.
ent on q homestead Of 100 acres near
his home town, Newcastle. In an aft
davit accompanying his application,
Mr.. Moudell declared he had resided
on the place continuously for the term
required by law. He applied for the
homestead under the agricultural land
laws.
"The department has been informed
there is no residence on the homestead
n also that there is coal underlying
the surface. Before approving Mr..
Mondell's application Secretary Hitch
cock has sent a special agent to New
castle to make a thorough ipvestiga'
ton and upon his report the depart
ment will act"
the Denver Republican wires his paper
that when shown the Chicago Tribune
article, Mr.. Mondell said it was evil
len that the expiring efforts of Secre-
tary Hitchcock are being devoted to
maligning everybody who may be try
ing to better the land laws and land
conditions. He said that the home
stead upon which he had filed and
which he committed last year is on the
plains southwest of Newcastle, Wyo.,
and as far as is known there is no coal
within twelve or fifteen miles Of it,
An artesian well was bored to a depth
of 500 feet in the immediate neighbor-
hood and no coal or other minerals
was discovered. Moreover, the home
stead for which final proof was made
under the communication homestead act
is under cultivation and experiments in
dry farming are being conducted which
are proving successful, good crops OF
Duran wheat, bronze grass and other
dry climate products being raised. In
acquiring final proof the strict letter
OF the Communication act had been com
piled with.
On March 4 Secretary Hitchcock will
be succeeded by Mr.. Garfield, a young
man of ability and understanding
Above all he Is a reasonable man-one
who will endeavor to the extent of his
power to carry out in an honest and
equitable manner the land laws. 1t is
believed it will not be the new secre-
tary's policy to hold all men guilty till
they are proved innocent, but that he
will enforce the law in accordance with
right and justice. If the character he
has made is indicative of his future
actions, those who are inclined to com
nit fraud will receive no liberation.
Fraud will be ferreted out and punish
ed lust as vigorously as at any period
in the past. but the honest settler will
get his dues, without unnecessary re-
strictions or hardships.
AS Mr.. Mondell says, this shot at
him is doubtless Mr.. Hitchcock's ex-
piring shot at the Wyoming delegation
in congress, whom he has learned to
hate with an intensity perhaps a little
more cordial than their regard for him,
INITIATIVE WITH STOCKMEN.