Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-05-15
LAND OFFICE. !
CELEBRATES
ITS CENTENARY
BY A. D. Morehouse
cia} to The Tribune.

Special to The tribune.
WASHINGTON, D G., May15-The
celebration of the one hundredth ami
versary of the United States general
land office was held Tuesday after
noon, May at Continental Hall, the
splendid new national building of the
Daughters Of the American Revolu-
ton A general review of the cent
ury's growth of the land office and the
building up of the nations western
empire was given by the speakers.
The committees We're all composed of
employees of the land office. 1t was
due to their united efforts that the
arrangements We're of the best and
there was nothing to mar the spirit
of the occasion.
Guests Of Honor
The guests of honor, who occupied
seats upon the platform, were the
members of the senate and house CON-
mittees on public lands. They were
represented on the program by Hon.
Knute Nelson, senator from Mime
sofa, and Hon James T. Robinson,
representative from Arkansas.
Addresses
Senator Nelson delivered an address
on "The Viewpoint of the Pioneer"
None is better fitted to speak on this
subject than the senator, who, in 1871,
moved from his birthplace to Mime
sofa, took up a homestead and with
his wife began their battle with the
western "Wilds", having nothing but
a shanty as protection from the biz
yards. After Al y ars he still lives
on that same homestead Senator
Nelson paid fine tribute to the land
office in stating that the land policy
had been honestly, justly and care
fully carried out, especially in the law
department in the settlement of land
claims
Hon. Walter L. Fisher
Hon. Walter l.. Fisher, Secretary of
the Interior, was presiding Officer and
gave an able address on problems of
the Present" He dwelt on the en-
portant and intricate problems on
which the land office has to pass, and
the great loyalty and untiring work
of the employees who are working on
hopelessly inadequate pay and with
out any provisions for pensioning
them in their old age after giving the
best years of their lives to the govern
ment service Secretary Fisher was
most happy in his introduction of the
many prominent speakers.
Commissioner Fred bennett
Hon Fred bennett, commissioner of
the general land Office. spoke on the
"Problems of the Past" He mention
ed the appointing of the first surveyor
6 neral in the Treasury Department
and finally the appointment, on May
Z, 1872, Of Hon, Edward Tif1in, first
commissioner Of the general land Of
flee. 1t was the pioneers who forced
their way beyond the frontier lands
to open up the public lands, when
and whenever they chose who forced
the consideration of the land question
upon the nation Commissioner Dem
nett then traced the growth of the
land department down through the
century from SIP to the, present day.
Hon. Samuel v. Proudfit
Legal Problems" were dealt with
BY Hon. Samuel V. Proudfit assistant
commissioner of the general land Of
flee who has served in that capacity
since three years before the civil war.
He stated that the land policies We're
then crvstallized into statutes. So
long as the lands are in the jurisdic-
ton OF the land Office the courts will
not interfere. Therefore the respon-
sibility is great upon those who must
make decision. 1t must be remem-
bered that from fertile prairie to arid
plain, from smiling valley to rugged
mountain, the problem which arise
are varied. Man,. many glittering
opportunities are offered by cases be.
fore the land Office and great prob
lens have been presented. Even &C.
tual battles have taken place in con.
test for public domain. A mention OF
these matters gives some small idea
Of the burdens of the duties of the
office.
Hon. James w. Witten
In speaking of the distribution OF
Homes" Hon. James w. Witten, CHIEF
law clerk of the general land office
said that the land Office methods orig
mated when land was cheap and land
seekers were few The pioneer
settled when and where he pleased
It was not until The late eighties thai
the day of the 'land boomers" came