The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-02-08
MANY INTERESTING FEATURES IN
SECRETARY oARFiELo's AN.
NUAl REPORT.
TO SAVE COAL FIELDS
DEFENDS LEASING SYSTEM An,
AND WOULD REPEAL TIMBER
AND STONE ACT,

rior James r. Garfield in his annual rs-
port devotes much attention to the land
problems affecting the western states
He recommends repeal Of the timber
and stone act and radical changes IN
the laws and policies affecting the dis.
position OF public domain, especially
those lands underlain with coal.
Secretary Garfield's report, after re.
viewing the general work of the ia
partment of the Interior for the fisc.S
year ending June 80, 1907, takes up II
work Of the General Land Othce. 1t
says In part:
During the fiscal year ended June
80. 1907, there were disposed OF 90.
997,566.5S acres, an increase of 1866,
37911 acres over the preceding year.
There were embraced in entries com
pleted during the year 7.1l+,25J3S
acres which had been reported in orig.
inal entries made the preceding year,
and are not included in the above
statement Entries OF all classes made
last year numbered 209, ,642, an increase
Of 1925 per cent over the preceding
year.
Total cash receipts from the dis.
posal OF lands during the last fiscal
year were $9,547,273.51. Receipts from
other sources were 81 ,005 9044 49, max
ing total of S11 1881 IFS, or an increase
of 52.3 per cent. over the receipts Of
the preceding year The total expenses
and cost of depositing moneys during
last year was $s10,s56.96, an increase
Of $50, ,439.16. The aggregate expend!.
lures ami estimated liabilities OF the
public land service were $2.295, ,O04 10.
lie. wing a net balance of $S,25S, 1880
in the treasury.
"Fifty-seven additional national for
ests, embracing 43,s3s.647 acres, were
created during the year and one has
been abolished. There are 159 national
forests, embracing 150,s32,665 acres.
"Of the lands temporarily withdrawn
under the forestry act, 12,334,9o4 acres
have been restored to entry during the
last year.
There were surveyed during the
year 7,l56,910 acres. OF these lands
5O4.l5S acres are located in Colora r
243.73S in Wyoming, 167,9 ,977 in Me-
Mexico. 2s7,162 in Arizona and 374.231
in Utah.
Laws have been enacted for the dis
posal OF the following Indian lands
Colville reservation. Washington. J.,
100000 acres; Flathead reservation,
Montana, ! 1000 900 acres; Yakima res
ervauon, Washington, 1,145,000 acres;
Blackfeet reservation, Montana, 100000
acres: Lower Brule reservation. South
Dakota, 5000 acres; Occur d'Alene
reservation, Idaho, 10000 acres: Rose
bud reservation, South Dakota. $50
900 acres; Lemhi reservation, Idaho,
$4,000 acres. Steps are now beng
taken preliminary to the opening OF
these lands next year.
There has been complete reorgan-
ization OF the General Land Office
force. The registers and receivers and
special agents have been instructed
that Il is their duty quite as much to
aid the honest entryman as to detec.
and punish the dishonest entryman
The purpose Of the public land law
is not to get rid Of the public land. but
to provide a method under which lands
may be obtained by those who intend
to use them legally and honestly, The
highest use Of lands is the making OF
homes. The utmost care should thus
be taken to prevent the taking for
other purposes Of lands capable OF be-
ing entered under the homestead act,
on the other hand, we must Eot permit
that law 10 be used as a device TO Oh
tain valuable mineral or timber lands
There has been no abatement in the
efforts OF the department to prevent
the Illegal entry or misuse of publc
lands. There have been collected
timber trespasses without suit ss0-
Sl753 and there have been recovered
through suits against trespasses s2VS-
cases Of unlawful inclosure, involving
s42. 720 acres have been reported. In "
of these cases of unlawful enclosure, in
volving 2FG.91s acres, the Enclosures
have been removed In the other cases
the fences are being removed or acton
is pending in the courts to compel re-
moval
1T is estimated that approximate
100000 acres in the western state
are underlain with coal. The coal va
ries In quality from the low form OF
Ignite to the highest form OF coklns
coal. Between July 26. 1906, and De
cembcr IA, 1907, by executive order, 90
$500 acres Of land we're withdrawn
from entry for the purpose of deter
mining whether or not they were uh'
derlain with merchantable coal. Inc
reasons for this action were that II
was found that serious frauds were De.
ing perpetrated in the acquisition ol
coal lands.
Tie law prohibiting the inclosuTe
Of the public domain or the placing ol
distractions thereon likewise needs
radical amendment This can best be
accomplished by a system OF permit,
based either upon an acreage or a per
capita basis and regulated in accord,
ance with the peculiar and special
needs and customs Of each locality.
The SHOWS and water in the great
mountain ranges OF the West contain
power enough to turn ten millions "l
wheels, TO irrigate millions Of acres, "a
furnish water supply to hundreds oL
cities. II these waters are permitted