The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-13
Land oaice virtually on Current
Basis.

Washington. Dec. 9-For the
first time in years the work OF the
general land Office is practically
fon a current basis. Commissioners
ESpry declared today in his annual
report. Final homestead entries
are now acted upon within thirty
! to ninety days after the final GER
ftificate has been issued. he said.
and it. is no longer necessary for
IAN entryman to wait two years or
more after. having ubmitted sat
tisfactory proof for his patent.
Approximately 5000 more pat
tents were issued during the fiscal
jyear than in the previous one. in
svolving an increase Of 2,787,900
tacres. OF this increase: 2,459. 833
acres were covered by-entries under
the homestead laws. making a to-
ital of 9,6S2.635 acres patented un-
der these laws. Entries were al
lowed for 10,367.153 acres Of which
acres were taken under
1.-THE stock-raising homestead act.
! and patents were taken out on a
total of 12.9g4,S ,S21 acres, substan-
ftial increase over the area patent
led the year. previous.
Total cash receipts for the year
showed a surplus of s3,s4S,59S.
The field service. entrusted with the
investigation of all charges af-
fecting the integrity Of transactions
involving title to public land. as
well as the protection Of public
I! lands from trespass or unlawful oc-
cupancy, collected s199.o59 and
turned over to the treasury s179.-
Iii recovered through civil and
criminal actions in cases of depre-
I; dations. During the year 1888
acres were thus restored to the
/; public domain.
During the year 1892 entries
were allowed under the stock-rais-
ing homestead act, bringing the to-
tai number Of entries under the
, act to 80.323, embracing an area
of 31,407.991 acres: $500 patents
J were issued under the law, cover
/ ing an area of 2,919,S19 acres,
bringing the total number issued to
June so up to 14.130,000, for an
area of 4.550,i16 acres.
! There were patented under the
act of 1908. applicable only to the
state of Minnesota, 1860 acres
during the year. making the total
patented under the act 1,021,92O
iacres. o
| Substantial progress was noted
in reclamation of desert lands: l.
Gil final desert land entries were
received and 1856 patents issued
during the year as against 1883
patented the year previous.
!: Under the Federal Water Power
act. applications aggregating 67a.-
600 acres were received for action
as against 552;59O the previous
year. About 1000 elections under
the act were called for as against
500 last year. and in the majority
of these cases elections have been
filed and entries allowed subject
to the provisions of the act.
! Under acts of congress confer
ring upon former service men the
preferential right Of entry fol
ninety days in advance of other
disposition of lands released from
withdrawal or segregation or made
subject 20 disposition through sur.
Ney or resurvey, 47o,790 acres
tsssere restored to entry, and 1876
300 acres opened on survey.
During the year six national
forests were enlarged. five unde,
special acts OF congress, and one
reduced. Three hundred more
tapplicationS for mineral pat
cnts were received during the year
than in the previous one. the APP
j pEcations embracing an area OF
53.043 acres. Homestead entries
in Alaska have been made eXten-
sively: 73 original entries We're
made during the fiscal year, EN-