762 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The legal work of the Forest Service was placed under my imme- 

 diate direction on January 15, 1910, and the report of this office for 

 the fiscal year 1910 included a statement of the legal business trans- 

 acted on oehalf of that service from January 15, 1910, to June 30, 



1910. Where reference is made in the present report to the legal work 

 for the Forest Service transacted in the fiscal year 1910 this fact 

 should be borne in mind. 



During the fiscal year 1911 the Solicitor rendered 56 written 

 opinions to officers of the Forest Service on the legal phases of cjues- 

 tions arising in connection with the administration of the national 

 forests; during the fiscal year 1910, 51 written opinions were similarly 

 rendered. Four hundred and twenty-three agreements and 196 

 leases were prepared, and the sufliciency of the execution of the same 

 examined during 1911, as compared with 53 agreements and 150 

 leases prepared during the fiscal year 1910. Two hundred and seven 

 bonds were prepared in 1911, as compared with 47 in 1910. Two 

 thousand three hundred and thirty-one cases involving contested 

 claims to lands within the National Forests were handled during the 

 fiscal year 1911, as compared with 565 cases of contested claims to 

 lands within the National Forests disposed of during 1910. The 

 regulations regarding the occupancy of lands in National Forests, in 

 connection with the generation of hydroelectric power, were issued 

 on December 29, 1910, as the result of conferences with the officials 

 of the Forest Service, and on March 18, 1911, the regulations govern- 

 ing the subject of grazing on the National Forests were likewise pro- 

 mulgated. The regulations regarding special uses of lands in National 

 Forests were similarly issued on March 18, 1911, and the portions of 

 the National Forest code regarding trespass and timber sales were 

 completed, though not issued at the close of the fiscal year 1911. 

 Those portions of the code regarding settlement and claims were 

 practically completed at the close of 1911. These regulations con- 

 stitute a very complete code of rules governing the use and adminis- 

 tration of the National Forests in every particular. Twenty-four 

 cases were reported to the Attorney General for criminal prosecution 

 and 12 actions for injunction as a result of grazing trespasses during 



1911. Of the criminal cases, 11 resulted in convictions, $800 in fines 

 being imposed. Injunctions were granted in 8 of the 12 cases. In 86 

 cases an administrative settlement was effected, it being apparent 

 that the trespasses were committed without criminal intent or 

 knowledge. Remittances in the sum of S2,000.04 have been received 

 in 55 cases; the remaining cases will be settled during the present 

 fiscal year. Thirty-five trespass cases were rejDorted with a view 

 to the collection of exemplary damages, recoveries being had in 13 

 cases in the sum of $2,094.57 actual damages and $817 exemplary 

 damages. Outstanding judgments amount to $317.50. 



Nine hundred and fifty-eight agreements, 224 bonds, and 1 deed 

 were prepared in 1911, as compared with 559 agreements and 87 

 bonds prepared in 1910. 



Nine applications for letters patent on inventions of employees of 

 the department for dedication to the public were ffied in 1910, and a 

 like number was presented in 1911. Of pending cases, 10 patents 

 were allowed in 1911, as compared with 5 patents allowed and 1 

 disallowed in 1910. 



