REPORT OF THE SOLICITOR. 351 



(231 Fed., 779) ; and Pittsburgh Melting Co. v. B. & O. R. R. Co. and 

 Totten (232 Fed., 694). 



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 submitted for your in- 

 formation. It is recommended that these be filed for reference. 



No law clerks were added, and there was a decrease of three in the 

 number of title attorneys during the year. The work was current 

 at the end of the year. 



Somewhat detailed statements of the principal activities of the 

 office, without reiteration of what has been fairly covered by the fore- 

 going summary, follow. 



ADMINISTRATION OF ACTS OF CONGRESS. 



STATUTES RELATING TO THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 



Land Claims. 



Five hundred and ninety cases, involving about 220,000 acres of 

 land claimed under the homestead, timber and stone, mineral, lieu 

 and railroad selection, and other general and special land laws of the 

 United States, were handled. 



Two hundred and eighty 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 30 

 cases for and 30 against the Government. The Commissioner decided 

 119 cases for and 47 against the Government. The Secretary decided 

 33 cases for and 21 against the Government. Of the 280 cases, 198 

 were closed during the year, 130 by decisions for and 49 against the 

 Government, 8 by relinquishments filed by the claimants, 7 by volun- 

 tary withdrawal of Forest Service protests, one by withdrawal of 

 final proof after protest by the Forest Service, 2 by elimination from 

 the Forests, and one by cancellation for failure to make proof within 

 the statutory period. As a result of the 130 decisions for the Gov- 

 ernment, approximately 108,409 acres of land, supporting a stand of 

 more than 240,000,000 feet of timber, valued at more than $400,000, 

 were retained in the National Forests. 



The remaining 310 cases received attention varying in degree with 

 their progress in the Forest Service and in the Department of the 

 Interior. 



Hearings were attended in 56 cases. Oral arguments were made 

 before the Secretary of the Interior in 11 cases. Depositions were 

 taken in 64 cases. Briefs were filed in 52 cases. In 7 cases motions 

 for rehearings, and in 4 petitions for supervisory authority, were 

 filed, together with supporting briefs. Appeals to the Secretary of 

 the Interior, supported by briefs in 6 cases, were prosecuted from 

 adverse decisions of the Commissioner. 



The assistants to the Solicitor in the field examined and passed 

 upon the evidence in many cases, preparatory to reports to the Com- 

 missioner of the General Land Office recommending adverse pro- 



