REPORT OF PUBLIC LANDS COMMISSION 



A PRELIMINARY STATEMENT, WHICH CONTAINS REC- 

 OMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES IN THE EXISTING 

 LAND LAWS TRANSMITTED TO CONGRESS WITH THE 

 PRESIDENT'S LETTER OF APPROVAL, MARCH 7, 1904. 



To His Excellency Theodore Roosevelt, 



President of the United States. 



SIR- This Commission, appointed 



October 22. 1903, to report to you upon 



the condition operation, and effect of 



he present land laws, and to recom- 

 mend such changes as are needed to 

 effect the largest practicable disposition 

 of the publfc lands to actual settlers 

 who will build permanent homes upon 

 them and to secure in permanence the 



ulles't and most effective use of the re- 

 sources of the public lands, respectfully 

 submits the following partial report : 



MEETINGS OP COMMISSION. Under the act Qf June ^ ^^ gen . 



During the month of December, 1903, erally known as the Timber and Stone 



the West and the hearings in Washing- 

 ton discloses a prevailing opinion that 

 the present land laws do not fit the con- 

 ditions of the remaining public lands 

 Most of these laws and the departmental 

 practices which have grownup under 

 them i were framed to suit the lands of 

 the humid region. The public lands 

 which now remain are chiefly and m 

 character. Hence these laws and prac- 

 tices are no longer well suited for the 

 most economical and effective disposal 

 f la " ds to actual settlers. 



TIMBER AND STONE ACT. 



the Commission sat in the office of the 

 Commissioner of the General Land 

 Office to receive recommendations and 

 hear the arguments of all who might 

 appear before it. Notice of these sit- 



Act, there has lately been an unusual in- 

 crease in the number of entries, which 

 can not be accounted for by an increase 

 in the demands of commerce or by any 

 unusual settlement of the localities in 



tings was published through the press which the greater part of the entries 

 and special invitations to be present 

 were extended to the Public Lauds Com- 

 mittees of the Congress. Senators and 



were made. In 1902 there were 4,022 

 entries under this act, aggregating 545,- 

 253 acres, while in 1903 there were 



Representatives and others appeared 12,249 such entries, aggregating 1,765, - 



before the Commission. 222 acres. A very large proportion of 



In January, 1904, Messrs. Pinchotand these entries were upon timbered land. 



Newell, of the Commission, attended The law was enacted to meet the de- 



the meetings of the National Livestock mands of settlers, miners, and others 



Association and of the National Wool- for timber and stone for building, min- 



growers' Association in Portland, Oreg., ing, and other purposes. There is 



and participated in the sessions of those much evidence, however, going to show 



associations. Returning, they also vis- that many entries have been made for 



ited Sacramento, Cal. ; Reno, Nev. ; 

 Salt Lake City, Utah ; Denver, Colo. ; 

 Cheyenne, Wyo., and conferred with 

 governors, state land boards, public 



purposes not contemplated by the Con- 

 gress. 



Under this law no residence upon nor 

 cultivation of the tract entered is re- 



officials, and citizens generally, and dis- quired. An application is made at the 



cussed the questions under considera- 

 tion by the Commission. Upon the re- 

 turn of Messrs. Pinchot and Newell to 

 Washington the meetings of the Com- 

 mission were resumed. 



local laud office in the district in which 

 the land is situated to purchase i6oacres, 

 or less, of land which it is alleged is 

 chiefly valuable for the timber or stone, 

 as the case may be, which it contains. 

 Advertisement 'is made for sixty days 

 naming a date upon which evidence will 

 be offered before the local land officers 

 Commission through the conferences in to prove the character of the land. Upon 



(106) 



ANTIQUATED LAND LAWS. 

 The information obtained by the 



