The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1911-08-17
A WEEKS NEWS
At WASHINGTON
ITEMS OF INTEREST TO SOUTH
DAKOTA GATHERED BY OUR
CORRESPONDENT
RELIEF GRANTED TO HOMtSTEADtRS
Extension Of Time for Payment on
Land has been Ordered by the
Interior Department

Friday vas a red letter day for the
homesteaders of the western portion
OF the country, including South Da-
kota, who We're granted their petit
ton 20 Congress for leave OF absence
from their lands until April Is, 1912,
without the time Of the actual absence
being deducted from the full time of
residence required by law says a spe-
Cial dispatch 10 the Register from
Washington. All of the western Mem
bers of Congress, including those from
South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska,
Washington, Colorado, etc, where
drouths had affected the conditions
Of the settlers, put up a strong fight
for the measure as passed. Then
Mr.. Burke Immediately took charge
of the measure extending the time of
payment to hOmesteaders in the Rose
bud and other Indian reservations in
South and North Dakota and sue
ceeded in inducing the House to lay
aside the House bill and to take up
Senate Bill Number 1852, which had
previously passed the upper House.
Mr.. Burke had a very spirited fight
on his hands, the chief belligerent be-
ing Mr.. Fitzgerald of New York,
Chairman of the Committee on APP
preparations, but the western Mem
bers came to the aid Of the South
Dakota Congressman with the result
that the Senate bill was substituted
and passed. Thus, in a single after
noon two of the most important home
stead measures, affecting the people
Of the western portion of the country,
that have come before Congress in
the special session, became laws.
The Gregory land office matter has
been one OF the subjects of investiga-
ton by the Committee on Expendi-
lures in the Interior Department of
the House Of Representatives; this
Committee having assumed jurisdic-
ton Of the matter Of the complaint by
George Silsbee, an old soldier from
Minnesota, who claims that he was
not given a square deal by Register
T. c. Burns, of the Gregory land office.
Mr.. Silsbee is here and has given his
testimony before the Committee in
Executive session. There Is a grow
ing feeling that ]. P. Baker and Com
pany, and other parties who have
been barred from practice before the
land Office, are deeply interested in
the Silsbee matter, and 1t Is intimated
in land Office circles that perhaps the
fact that there are to be new lands
opened on the Rosebud and Pine
Ridge reservations may have some
thing TO do with the matter in which
Mr.. Silsbee Is apparently a prime
mover. 1t is apparent that the at
tempt to involve the Commissioners OF
the General Land Office has failed to
secure any support from C~ongression-
al or other sources, and the same
may perhaps be said Of the charges
against Register Burns. The infer
ence is that the charges have not been
sustained.
Representatives Martin and Burke
presented an invitation OF the Com
mercial Club and citizens Of Dallas
to President Taft this week, TO visit
that place during his visit to South
Dakota. It is thought that the Presi-
dent will attend the Mitchell Corn
Palace the latter part of September.
Senator Gamble has also extended an
invitation to the President on behalf
of Yankton. The schedule for the
Presidential trip will undoubtedly in
clude South Dakota, and consequently
invitations from different points are
pouring in at the White House.
Speaker Champ Clark is still In
sisting that he is not a candidate for
the Presidency and has written a
letter to that effect to a Pennsylvania
newspaper. However, the Speaker
still considers il "a great compliment
to be thought Of and mentioned in
that high connection by my fellow
citizens" but he does not compel
anybody TO sease booming him for
the place. There are peculiar political
conditions down in Missouri which ap-
pear 10 demand a sort CO acS:2! G: the
SpeakeTs's active candidacy at times,
but Mr.. Clark is always in the "Barkis
IL willing" class.