The Holly chieftain., 1908-02-07
MANY INTERFERING FEATURES IN
sEcRETARv oARFIELD's An
NuAL REPORT.
TO SAVE COAL FIELDS
DEFENDS LEASING SYSTEM AND
AND WOULD REPEAL TIMBER ?.
AND STONE ACT.

Washfngton.--Secretary OF the Inte-
Tor James R. Garfield In his annual re-
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 Garheld's report. after re-
viewing the general work of the de-
partment of the Interior for the fiscal
year ending June 30. 1907. takes up the
work OF the General Land Once. It
says In part:
During the fiscal year ended June
30, 1907, there were disposed OF 49,
997, ,666.5S acres, an increase OF 1866
379.11 acres over the preceding year.
There were embraced in entries com
pleted during the year 7,114.250.3S
acres which had been reported in orig
tnal entries made the preceding year.
and are not included in the above
statement. Entries Of all classes made
last year numbered 9,642, an increase
Of 1895 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 $2,OO5. .90449, max
ing q total Of I'll l,553,17s, or an increase
OF SAB per cent. over the receipts of
the preceding year. The total expenses
and cost Of depositing moneys during
last year was 10,S56.96, an increase
Of $30. .439.16. The aggregate expendi-
lures and estimated liabilities Of the
public land service were $2,295, ,004.70.
le.ving net balance Of $8,25S, 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,s32,66 acres.
"Of the lands temporarily withdrawn
under the forestry act, 12,334,004 acres
have been restored to entry during the
last year. ss
"There were surveyed during the
year 7.l56,910 acres. OF these lands
604.158 acres are located in Colorado,
243, ,738 In Wyoming, 167, ,977 in New
Mexico, 2S7,162 In Arizona and 374,237
In Utah.
LAWS have been enacted for the dis
posal OF the following Indian lands:
COlville reservation, Washington, L.
100000 acres; F1athead reservation,
Montana, 1000, 900 acres: Yakima res
ervation, Washington, 1;145,000 acres;
Blackfeet reservation, Montana, 500, 900
acres; Lower Brule reservation, South
Dakota, 5000 acres: Occur d'Alene
reservation, Idaho, $40, 600 acres; Rose
bud reservation, South Dakota, 1885,
900 acres; Lemhi reservation, Idaho.
"a, 900 acres. ~
There has been complete reorgan-
ization of the General Land, Once,
force. The registers and receivers and
special agents have been instructed
that 1t is their duty quite as much to
aid the honest entryman as to detect
'The purpose Of the public land law
is not to get rid Of the public land, but
to provide 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 not permit
that law to be used as a device to OBJ
tain valuable mineral or timber lands.
| There has been no abatement In the
efforts OF the department to prevent
tho illegal entry or misuse OF public
lands. There have been collected for
timber trespasses without suit $780,
917.53 and there have been recovered
through suits against trespasses $203,-s
| cases of unlawful inclosure, involving
842, ,72O acres have been reported. In "a
| OF these cases Of unlawful enclosure. In
volving .2EG,91s acres, the Enclosures
have been removed. In the other cases
the fences are being removed or action
is pending In the courts to compel re-
moval.
ut is estimated that approximately
| 100000 acres In the western states
are underlaiE with coal. The coal va
ries In quality from the low form OF
Ignite to the highest form Of coking
coal Between July 16, 1906. and De-
cembor IA, 1907, by executive order, 66.-
SSS. 800 acres Of land were Withdrawn
from entry for the purpose of deter
mining whether or not they were un-
darlain with merchantable coal. The
reasons for this action were that 1t
was found that serious frauds were be-
Ing perpetrated in the acquisition OF
coal lands.
TIE law prohibiting the inclosure
OF the public domain or the placing OF
Eobstructions thereon likewise needs
radical amendment. This can best be
accomplished by system OF permit,
based either upon an acreage or per
capita basis and regulated In accord.
ance with the peculiar and special
needs and customs Of each. locality.