The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-03-01
House Hobbies
Land Sleuths

and travelling expenses of special
agents under the department of
the interior to protect the public
lands from illegal and fraudulent
entry was amended by the house
today SO that no part of the appro-
priation shall be available for the
examination of the lands embraced
in any entry upon which final
proof has been made, unless the
department has information furn-
ishing good grounds to suspect
fraud or noncompliance with the
law as to that specific entry.
The amendment was offered by
Mr.. Mondell Of Wyoming and was
adopted by a vote of lO4 to II.
Mr.. Model insisted that the per-
nicious activity of special agents
was an insult to every honest set
tier upon the public domain.
Mr.. Lacey of Iowa, chairman of
the public land committee, be-
lieved that the president was sin
cere in his efforts to enforce the
land laws and protect the honest
settler from the land speculator.
He also declared that .we never
have had more honest secretary
Of the interior"
Amor one who has been more
universally mistaken answered
Mr.. Cushman of Washington.
Mr.. Lacey continued in his de-
fense Of the secretary of the interi-
or, 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," He said it was in the
interest Of settlers that the inspec-
tors should not be hampered in
their work.
Mr.. Gronna of North Dakota
told of the hardships occasioned by
the two famous orders Of the presi-
dent suspending final proof on
homestead entries until expert ex-
animation could be made.
It was the opinion of Mr.. Steen-
erson of Minnesota that the presi-
dent could not have known the
hardships that would follow his
order of Dec. l3, 1906; otherwise
he did not believe it would have
been issued. He made his asser-
ton that Mr.. Pinchot has inspired
the drastic order, (which was as.
arbitrary as any ukase issued by
the czar of Russia
Mr.. Cushman of Washington in
.championing the amendment Of
fered by Mr.. Mondell, said that he
regarded the present secretary Of
the interior as "an honorable, hon
est and high-minded man and we'll
intentioned.'' but added: II do
believe he is suffering from a very
severe case of suspicion regarding
the integrity Of the people Of the
West
Continuing, he declared that
there had been nothing in the rec
ord Of the land Office inyestiga-
tions to justify this continuous
:'cry Of calumny'' that has been
sent forth regarding the land
frauds. It was true that, here and
there, and now and then, there
haye been isolated and individual
cases Of fraud in the land business
but there has been instances Of
fraud in the grocery business and
fraud in the banking business and
lfraod in all other business and in all
a 7enues Of trade.
The only difference between
the two, he declared, lis that the
present secretary Of the interior
Has advertised and given currency
Eto 8 great degree to these few lone
some instances Of fraud that have
occurred until he has saturated the
.pnblic mind with the belief that
stlae mon who reside on the public
q Isnain are thieves and looters.
u western men dishonest. \
Hs ntended that the progress