The San Francisco call., 1908-07-12
LAND OFFICE DROPS
TIME WORN SYSTEM

ASHINGTON. July II-Important
changes In the method Of keeping rec
ords relating 10 public lands went into
erect July I. These changes are the
result Of an Investigation made by Sec
retary Of the Interior Garfield shortly
after his appointment.
lt was then discovered that many Of
tie methods adopted when the general
.aEd Office was first organized. nearly
fe9 years ago. We're still In vogue. These
ant-quated methods involved q large
amount Of duplication work. both in the
district land Offices and in the general
land Office al Washington.
A separate series OF numbers for each
class Of entries has been in use al The
district land Offices suCh as the Home
stead series l0riEiual1-. Homestead
series (dnal)" Desert land series
Mineral SERIES etc. Applications ana
entries were only numbered when al
lowed or approved.
Under the new system. each district
-en6 ONCE VIII maintain but one series
~ numbers for all kinds Of entries
Application and entries viii be num-
ofred at the time and ia the order in
which they are presented or received
at The district land Offices. before they
are considered for the purpose OF al
lowsnce Of rejection. This VIII permit
~ ready determination Of the priority
II fling of each application or entry.
Another important change is in the
method Of issuing receipts for moneys
paid TO receivers. Applicants and en-
trymen heretofore have been compelled
20 tender money with their applica-
lions and entries. and no receipt would
issue until it was determined whether
The application or entry could be al
lowed
GIVES RECEIPT FOR MONEY
Many applicants seriously object to
the payment Of their money without
some form Of acknozvl eds gment Of its
receipt A new form of receipt has
been adopted. These receipts are
seriaIIy numbered before coming into
The hands Of receivers. Press COPIES
are made Of all receipts issued and
forwarded 20 the general land Office
AZ the end OF each month. All persons
rendering moneys 10 receivers viii
Hereafter be given a receipt therefor
ar the time the money is rendered. The
issuance Of q receipt. however. does
not necessarily mean that the applica-
tlon or entry IS allowed or viii be al
lowed. Applicants and entrymen Will
be notified Of the allowance or rejection
~ their applications or entries.
Blanks for the returns and accounts
have been reduced TO uniform size to
accommodate the ordinary sized type
writing machines. Heretofore these
blanks have been OF a large. unwieldy
size which necessitated their being made
out by pen and ink In numerous cases
the local Offices were compelled to prac-
IDEALLY suspend business until their
monthly and quarterly reports had been
completed
T.or.T rf70er-r u-1re ,-rv,,7,a1l.F r-rda,.
The cid practice TO duplicate for the
quarter all that had been previously
reported each month. The quarterly
reports hereafter viii be merely a re-
cspitulation Of the monthly reports.
Thirty large sized bound books and So
large sized blanks have been replaced
With 14 uniform sized blanks.
Al alphabetical index OF all appli-
oants and entrymen viii be kept at
each district land Office. Such an in
deX FOR the entire land service viii
also be kept at the general land Office.
NEED But ONE ITEM
Under the new system local Offices
and the general land Office viii be able
70 identify and give full Information in
regard TO any application or entry by
being furnished with only (a) the name
u the applicant or entrymen, or Cb)
the name Of the land Office and number
of entry. or (c) the number Of the re-
eeipt.
Tnnumerable Inquiries in the past
1ave had 10 80 unanswered by reason
~ the fact that sufficient information
was not furnished TO identify the case.
Each district land Office has also been
furnished with modern Office supplies.
some OF the Offices in the past have
been compelled TO file letters in old
cigar boxes and such other receptacles
IS were available.
Il was upon the recommendation OF
x-Commissioner r. A. Ballinger that
the work Of changing the old practices
20 a modern business system was be-
gun. Commissioner of the General
Land once bennett heartily supported
The recommendation and IS 10 be cred
tied with putting the system into effect.