The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-11-08
ONLY FARCE
And Source Of Expense for the
Claimant.

And Source Of. Expense for the
Claimant.
In editorially commenting on the
land laws as interpreted by the
officials at Washington, the Duluth
Labor World hits the nail fairly on
the head when it says:
"The general land Office, Wash.
ington, D. c., in it's administration
and management of the public
land laws is steadily pursuing a
policy which makes it harder and
harder for the poor man to acquire
title to public land, and easier and
easier for the Weyerhausers and
the Northern Pacific Railroad COM
pany 80 to do.
"Rulings and orders are numer-
ous enough, and each successive
ruling excels it's predecessor in
simon pure. unadulterated idiocy.
"These aristocratic Washington
gentlemen arrogate to themselves
a monopoly of the virtue of honesty,
but if their integrity is on par
with their practical common sense,
no one need envy them the posses.
sion.
"What earthly sense or reason is
there in putting timber and stone
applicants to the expense of maxi
ing two trips to their claims before
final proof is accepted? Are these
Washington officials so unpardon-
ably stupid as not to know that one
examination made thoroughly, is
of more value in determining the
character of the land than a hun
dred trips hastily and specifically
made?
"What ails our land department
in Washington anyway? Last win
ter the very walls of the capitol re-
sounded with senatorial and repre-
sentative denunciations of it's me
thods and policies. but apparently
to no avail. The same exasperat-
ing policy is still pursued with un-
abating vigor and if possible, with
even greater determination than
ever before, to throw every pos.
sible technicality and obstruction
in the way of the man of limited
means in his efforts to obtain a
pittance of Gods acre even when
paying therefor the price perscrib-
ed by law.
1--WE are informed by those in a
position to know, that the registers
office in Duluth is over a year
behind with it's work, and that this
is largely occasioned by spending
valuable time in complying with
some foolish red tape requirement,
emanating from Washington, and
serving no useful purpose whatso
ever, unless the annoying and
harassing of claimants comes with
in the category of usefulness from
the..department's standpoint.
"Evidently it does, for not being
content with the annoyance and
inconvenience of present delays,
the department has added new
burdens to the already overburden-
ed local office by requiring its
officials to make out applications,
affdavits, ETC., under the various
land laws.
"Another ruling 80 thoroughly un-
American assto be simply contemp-
tible, is that which prohibits final
proof claimants, from having their
attorney even sit in the room where
the claimants are testifying.
Honest claimants, inexperienced in
matters PERTAINING to the domain
of legal procedure are thereby
discouraged and evidently that's
the purpose of the requirement.
"The land department has always
been unfortunate in the mental cali.
Der and judgment of the men
selected to administrate the laws
1t is the one department of our
government, that has never yet
come up to the standard of effici-
ency which the public welfare de-
rnands. The postoffice department
though its duties are much more
difficult and complicated has in.
varibly rendered highly satisfact-
Dry service to the people but the
land department not for many a
year.
"There is no possible excuse for it
either. The land laws are so plain
the wayfaring man ought to under
stand them. Everybody but the
officials of the department does un-
derstand them. Congress has pro.
nounced upon them, the courts
have again and again interpreted
them, still the department persists
in putting erroneous and strained
constructions upon their plainest
provisions"