Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-23
HOUSE RESTRICTS
SPECIAL AGENTS
VOTES AMENDMENT TO SUN
DRY CIVIL BILL
No Part Of $25o,ooo Appropriation
Shall Be AvsllsbIe for Examina-
tion Of Lands Unless Fraud
Is Suspected
Rv Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON. Feb 22-The appro-
priation of S250,000 carried In the sundry
civil bill for the pay and travelling eN-
penses Of special agents under the de-
nartment of the interior to protect the
nuhlic lands from illegal and fraudu-
dent entry. was amended by the house
today so that no part of the approprla-
tion shall be available for the eNaml
nation of the lands embraced IN any
entry upon which final proof has been
made unless the department has infor-
nation furnishing good grounds TO sus-
pect fraud. The amendment was ottered
by Mr. Mondell Of wyoming and was
adopted. .,-.,...
Mr.. Mondell insisted that the activity
of special agents was known to every
honest settler on the public domain.
Mr.. Lacey Of Iowa, chairman oil the
public lands committee believed the
presIdent was sincere in his efforts to
enforce the land laws and protect the
honest settler from the land SPECTATOR.
He declared that we never had more
honest secretary of the interior. NOR
one who was more universally mis-
taken" answered Mr.. Cushman of
Washington.
Mr.. Lacey continued in his defense OF
the secretary of the interior, who, he
said, had been greatly maligned and
much misunderstood.
HE has endeavored to enforce the
law and he has caught some pretty big
fish,"
1t was in the interest of honest set
tiers. he said that inspectors should
not be hampered in their work
Mr. Gronna of North Dakota told OF
the hardships occasioned by the two
now famous orders of the president sus-
pending final proof on homestead unit!
,I,,ot ton, N no
Steenerson of Minnesota thought the
president could not have known the
hardships that would follow his order
of December 13, 1906. otherwise he die
not believe 1t would have been issued.
He made the assertion that Mr.. PIN
chot had inspired the drastic ORDER
(which was as arbitrary as an ukase
issued by the czar of Russia.
ut is time congress provided that
the stealing of land by rich men away
from the poor shall be as much pun
ished as any other theft" said Mr..
Mann of Illinois.
Purpose of investigation
The purpose of investigating the
frauds has been to save to the poor
the public domain and prevent 1t being
taken by the rich man for pasture lands
and otherwise, he said.
Mr.. Cushman of Washington, IN
said he regarded the secretary of the
interior las an honorable, honest and
high minded man and we'll intentioned,"
but added: Il do believe he is suffering
from a very severe case of suspicion
regarding the integrity of the people of
the west"
He declared there had been nothing
in the record of this land office investi-
CATION to Justify the continuous cry OF
"calumny that had been sent forth re-
garding the land frauds" 1t was true
that there have been isolated and indi-
vidual cases of fraud in the land busl'
ness, but there had also been instances
of fraud in the grocery business and
fraud in the banking business and fraud
in all other business and in all avenues
of trade.
THE only difference between the
two he declared "is that the present
secretary of the interior has advertised
and given currency to a great degree tt
these few lonesome instances of frauC
that have occurred. until he has satur-
ated the public mind with the belle
that the men who reside on the public
domain are thieves and looters.
He declared the progress of the wes
depends on the ownership of the lant
by individuals and denounced tht
present policy as opposed to that IN
terest.
Detectives Not Needed
at seems TO me the secretary of tn
interior is proceeding in these matter
on the assumption that all men on tn
western domain are dishonest unles
contrary is proved, and this is know
to be untrue. There is no reason Wh,
the people of the west should b
watched by a herd of private detec
tives. 1 would like TO ask the gentle
man from Illinois (Mr. Mann), VIII
sit, 10 ie n1-yr n a
these special agents watching on tn
men from Minnesota in order that the
% may perpetrate no dishonest acts, VIII
is to guarantee the honesty of tn
special agent?"
Mr.. Cushman said that when
special agent starts out from the OF
flee of the secretary of the interic
he is saturated before he starts wit
the idea of fraud. The very eXistenc
of his Job depends upon his findin
fraud, and if he does not find frau
the necessity for his official eXistnc
ceases.
AS for himself he would rather &C
cept the statement of the settlers tina
those of the agent who hat been az
pointed, perhaps from the suburbs of
slaughter house in Chicago, simpl
through political influence to invest
gate the public domain Of The countr!
After further debate the amendmer
was adopted.
Proceeding with the sundry civ
bill the house defeated the amendmer
offered by Mr. Keifer of Ohio apprc
priating 100000 for the transportatio
of minor coin by a vote of 1O2 to 9
but this action was followed by adOp
ing an amen lment appropriatir
$4,000 for the transportation Of fra'
tional silver coin by registered ma
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