Evening star., 1925-08-24
Thousands of Acres With
drawn From Homestead En-
try as Boom Grows.
SOURCE OF HUGE PROFITS
LOST TO SPECTATORS
! Executive Order Prevents Filing
Claims on Acreage Near Resorts.
Government Will Reap Gain.

Moving to preserve from speculation
much of the choice acreage now owned
by 1t in Florida, the Government has
taken official cogniZance of the land
booms in that State by withdrawing
from homestead entry many thousands
of acres of land which, if not with
drawn, might fall into the hands of
land SPECTATORS and be sold at enor-
nous profits. BY withdrawal of this
public land now appraised at a low
rate in the face of the present land
boom. the Government hopes to hold
it until its value is so appreciated
that a scale will bring much more
money than it is now worth.
4. The latest of a series of executive
' orders to bring about the retention as
public land of valuable acreage in
Florida was issued today by the In
terror Department. withdrawing A
lots in st. Marks townsite in Wakulla
County, near Tallahassee. A group
of similar executive orders have with
drawn from homestead entry hun
dreds of acres of choice land in the
boom State within the last II months,
one of them Withholding from home
stead entry and other disposition all
island off the coast of Florida.
This order and many of the other
executive orders have been issued ito
prevent the lands from being acquired
by private individuals for land specu-
lative purposes"
160-Acre Lots Available.
Before the inauguration of the land
Withdrawal policy. royal road to as
sured wealth was open to any one who
cared to apply for homestead entry to
the many thousands of acres of public
land in Florida. Some of this land is
in additions TO the fashionable Winter
places at Palm Beach and Miami. This
condition has been intensified the past
two years as the impetus of the Flor
Ida land boom gathered, until today
small lots and parcels of land in that
State, especially near the famous
beaches and resorts, are selling at
fabulous prices. In other years any
one could secure a parcel of Florida
land owned by the Government simply
by applying to the General Land Office
and proving his claim to the land
sought in compliance with the land
laws. Parcels of land as large as $50
- acres could be obtained and can still
be obtained in Florida from the United
States Government by proving resi-
dence of seven months each year on
The land for three years; construction
of A habitable house and cultivation of
part of the tract.
Practically no expense is attached
to the proving of Florida land claims,
and special inducements are offered
for ex-Service men in the form OF a
reduction of time necessary for prov
ing claims. When the claim is proved
there is no restriction on the part OF
the new owner to offer the 160-acre
tract or any part of it for sale to land
10 nd
cost to himself.
Z. S. May Gain By Policy.
The entire withdrawal program, ac-
cording to Secretary of Interior Work,
is designed to save and probably
make money for the Government by
Withholding lands from sale or entry
that are now valuable and that may
become immensely valuable as the
magnitude of the Florida land boom
increases. Mr.. Work holds that, even
though part of the 80, 900, 600 acres in
Florida whose title is now vested in
the Government may not be as valu-
able as the lots along the waterfront
in the boom State that are going at
fabulous prices, the day will come
when their value will be very much
appreciated. To guard against pre-
mature disposition of this land at
very much deprecated prices, the pol
icy of land withdrawal has been in
itiated.
A case in point is the Harding Town
site. a block of 40 acres of public land
near Miami Beach, which was ap-
praised at S55,000. 1t was withdrawn
from entry about a year and half
ago, and eight months ago sold by
the Government for S3S5,000. Appre-
citation of other public lands has pro-
sressed in about the same ratio, In
terror Department officials believe,
even though their appraised value
may now be low.
The recent order withdrawing the
islands off the Coast of Florida from
entry as public lands is looked upon
as one of the most valuable of the
withdrawal orders. These small is
lands, some of them several square
miles in extent, while others do not
cover more than an acre, are regard
ed as especially desirable sites for
Florida Winter dwellings,.
nISpITTE COMES tn HEAD