The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-09-22

general land office by Secretary Of the
Interior Franklin X. Lane, who has
general supervision over the land Of
fice. las -
Mr.. Tallman ids instituted many re-
forms in the administration Of the
land Office. the most important of
which, he believes, Is that which has
reduced he delays in acting upon
homestead final proofs and, applica-
tons for surveys.
The lessening Of these delays, 1t is
believed, has been partly responsible
for the increased amount Of business
handled by the land Office in the past
two years. 49,.
Review Of Years Work.
In the belief that few people have
any idea Of what the general land
office has to do .r how extensive its
field of operations Is, the department
has given out q r.view of the work
done by the land office during the fis-
cal year 1915. According to this re-
view, the land office has done these
IA4u6C uuA AAS kAO yCuA
Patented 13,O25, 427 acres, as against
1855, O78- acres in 1913 and 1O,135, 475
acres In 1912.
Issued 2,711 patents on ,desert-land
entries, embracing 448,752 acres, as
against 2,127 patents embracing 346.-
794 acres during the year previous,
2,2O9 patents embracing 356,477 acres
in 1918, and 2,2S5 patents embracing
1914, 72S acres in 1912.
Issued 1860 patents in fee to In
dams, relieving 202, $50 acres from re-
strictions against alienation, and rem
dering such acreage subject to taxa
ton, as against 9S6 patents, embrac-
ing 122, 432 acres in 1913, and 1,051
patents, embracing 1S7,267 acres in
, 1912. }s,.$ 4 -''-,.,( .'-, go
Patented 146,O79 acres under the Ca
reg act, as against 1924 acres the
year before and 35,170 acres In 1912
1913. 80 .,lsr r,.:@~ - - ,l,.r ,>-,..,
Patented and certified under rail-
road and wagon.road grants 1,624,142
Z acres, ms against 82S,911 acres In 1914,
1840,99S acres in 1913. and 20,975
E acres in 1912. }, ,4j' ~ 'r1 <,,
.ta Allowed entries of public and Indian
lands for 16,881,214 acres, as against
. 18,522,S52 acres in 1914, 1885,, 222
K acres in 1913, and 14,574,6Ss acres In
1912 ~ ..~.. 10.
Z Approved and accepted original sur
veys covering 11,988,3S7 acres, and
2,35O,962 acres of resurveys, an acre
age largely in excess Of accepted sur
veys In any year during the last two
& decades. h.. ss5~.. ....; 20 ~. .
.t.Gs Opened Up "Lake" Lands. .
Surveyed and opened to entry IT,
4 4l6 acres of Arkansas lands heretofore
enormously shown on the plats of sur
'vey asflake or sunk lands.
Rejected 600 applications for Indian
Il sllotments, for the reason that 1t was
z ascertained. through new methods OF
tnvestig ation, the applicants were not
entitled thereto, thus rendering $4,000
Acres Of land subject to other DISPOSE
ton. 1. III .E d Ia,l,.. ;. r.. Il
.s5s Sold $50 tracts OF land surveyed %
vilia hteA fronting on Flathead lake,
Aootana. for 1926, 900, some tracts SELL:
4 lng for 1900 per acre. First sale OF
the kind IN the disposition Of public
lands. u
Settled and disposed Of long-stand
ing controversy involving the exchange
ssof over 400. 900 acres Of land 70 the ne
Navajo and Moqui Indials eservanons'
Arizona, for lands outside Of said re e.
CREATIONS.
Restored u oct lenept and entry
y after special invest atdoh 40 tne neio'$