398 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Thomas Nolan^ Boh Sol&n, and E. A. Matson, all unreported; United 

 States V. P. John Muller (pending on demurrer), WiUhriot Valley 

 Lumbermen's Association v. Soutfiern Pacific R. R. Co. (pending 

 decision), United States v. Kern River Co. (pending decision), Grand 

 Trunk Western Ry Co. v. United States, 248 Fed. 905. 



Tabulated statements, showing in detail the facts and status of 

 the principal prosecutions originating in the department in which 

 United States attorneys have commenced proceedings, and of the 

 claims and other cases affecting the administration of the national 

 forests in which this office is concerned, are retained in this office for 

 reference. 



The work of the office, considering its nature, was current at the 

 end of the year. 



In former reports of this office, reference has been made to daily 

 conferences with officials and employees of the department on legal 

 questions arising in their work, and very general statements were 

 made with reference to letters and memoranda prepared by various 

 bureaus and divisions of the department and submitted for examina- 

 tion and criticism. Realizing that a large portion of the time of this 

 office had been and was being devoted to such conferences and exami- 

 nation and criticism of letters and memoranda, a plan was put into 

 effect on August 1, 1917, whereby a record would be kept of these 

 items of business, in order that it might be ascertained with some de- 

 gree of accuracy how much time was being devoted to them during 

 the remainder of the fiscal year. The result is a record of 2,230 hours, 

 or the equivalent of 297 days, so devoted, and of 1,237 letters and 

 memoranda so examined and criticized, exclusive of the conferences 

 by the assistants in the field and the personal conferences of the 

 Solicitor, of which no record was kept. 



Somewhat detailed statements of the principal activities of the 

 office, without unnecessary reiteration of what has been fairly covered 

 by the foregoing summary, follow: 



THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 



LAND CLAIMS. 



At the commencement of the fiscal year there were pending 411 

 cases. During the year 138 were added and 148 closed, leaving 401 

 cases pending at the close of the fiscal year. A total of 549 cases, 

 involving about 110.337.104 acres of land claimed under the home- 

 stead, timber and stone, mineral, lieu, and railroad selection, and 

 other general and special land laws of the United States, were han- 

 dled during the year. 



One hundred and eighty-two decisions were rendered, including 

 those of registers and receivers and the Commissioner of the General 

 Land Office, subject, respectively, to review by the commissioner and 

 the Secretary of the Interior. The registers and receivers decided 42 

 for and IG against the Government. The commissioner decided 58 

 for and 30 against the Government, and the Secretary decided 5 for 

 and 31 against the Government. Of the 148 cases closed during the 

 year, 59 were by decisions in favor of the Government. 54 by decisions 

 against the Government, 11 by the proof being withdrawn or relin- 





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