The daily sentinel., 1913-11-22
(By EDWARD KEATING.)
Congressman-at-La from State OF
Colorado.l

the claim ITSELF The entryman Will
have an opportunity to confront the
official VINO makes the protest ana
every point in controversy will be
threshed out where all the evidence
is at hand. There will be no more
hearings and rehearings with the at
tendant delays and expense. A square
deal will be assured and the nerve-
wrecking red tape" will be cut out.
What this change means to the home
steader only a westerner can appre-
ciate. For the time being the expert
ment will be confined to Colorado,
but / am confident 1t will be such
pronounced success it will be quickly
extended to all the public land
states.
Nothing for Attorneys.
Another blow at Red Tape" is
contained in the announcement by
the Geological Survey that settlers
who desire to have land designated
as subject to the enlarged homestead
act need not employ attorneys and
other experts to prepare their petit
tions We are told that it is Secre-
tar Lanes desire that ''the settler
shall take the simplest and most di-
rect means to make his want known" ;"
No definite form of petition is re-
quired. The settler is expected to
write letter to the Geological Sur
vey Washington, ID. c., giving a de-
scription OF the land he wants to take
up, the description of his original
homestead entry Uf he has made
one) and such evidence as he pos
sesse to prove that the land he seeks
is non-irrigable. On receipt of this
letter an official investigation will
be made and the applicant promptly
notified of the decision.
All very simple, isn't it? And how
different from the old system?
Secretary Lane is a demon for
work. He likes to see things finish
ed-loose ends annoy him. His hand
ling of the reclamation service IL
illustrates this point. When he went
into office eight month ago, the West
was demanding that the service get
busy and complete the projects which
had been authorized and many of
which had been under construction
for at least 10 years. The reclama-
ton officials said the protestants
were a bunch of kickers' and the
protestants retorted that the recla-
nation officials were incompetent
and possibly dishonest.
Lane insisted on hearing both
sides. He thought the discussion
would take two or three days. 1t
dragged over as many weeks. At the
end of that time Lane was tired, but
he understood the troubles of the
reclamation service. He found that
both sides were in part wrong and
in part right.
He has reorganized the depart
ment quietly, but effectively and he
has made it very clear that he wants
the projects completed and water
turned in without the unnecessary
loss of day. His subordinates have
caught his spirit and the effect will
soon be seen all over the west.
The big Fellows"-the monopo-
lists-do not find the Secretary SO
eonsiderate. Some months ago the
Colorado Fuel & Iron company was
compelled to return to the govern
ment a great tract of coal land which
il had Illegally grabbed and then
the American Smelling G. Refining
Company was discovered making off
with another group of coal claims,
and it was compelled to stand and de-
liver.
Lane has some interesting ideas
concerning the development OF our
natural resources, and when he
presents them, | predict he will re-
eeive a most sympathetic hearing
from congress and the people. He is
one of the big men of this admins
tration and he has little trick of
getting bigger ever time you meet
him. Unfortunately he was born on
the Canadian side of the line. If
that particular stork had been lit
tie more considerate we would now
be discussing real presidential pos
sibility.
Success of Parcel Post.
Where is the man who said the
parcel pest would bankrupt the gov
ernment? de was making a good
deal of noise a year ago. but he has
not been heard from of late. The
reason for his silence is to be found
in the monthly statements of the re-
ceipts and disbursements of this new
division of the postoffice department.
These figures would indicate that
the profits of the parcel post for the
first year of its existence will total
the tidy sum OF thirty million dol
lars out OF a total business of eighty