68 



Second Annual Report of the 



USE. 



Occupancy. 

 During the past two and one-half years there has been a deter- 

 mined effort made to secure a complete record of the nature and 

 extent of all cases of occupancy in the forest preserve. As a 

 result 592 such reports have been filed in this office, and supple- 

 mental information has been systematized and catalogued. A 

 blank form of " Disclaimer of Title " to the land used or occupied 

 has been prepared and approved by the counsel, and submitted to 

 the occupants for execution. In no case has any promise or threat 

 been made as to future tenancy, and a large number have duly 

 executed these disclaimers, all of which have been placed on 

 record. In some instances the parties have refused to execute the 

 disclaimer, and as fast as the necessary data are compiled, a report, 

 with the accompanying facts, has been transmitted to the counsel 

 of this Commission for his recommendations. Other cases are in 

 preparation. 



Trespass. 



The decrease in the number of trespasses, and the value of 

 material removed, has been both marked and gratifying. The fol- 

 lowing tabulation shows the number of cases and value of timber 

 therein which have been reported to this office as having been 

 committed during the past four years. This table indicates in a 

 striking manner the progress which has been made in this 

 direction. 



Comparison of Trespass Cases 1909-1912. 



YEAR 



Number 



of 



cases 



Computed 

 value of 

 material 



Average 



damage 



per trespass 



1909 



83 



104 



46 



27 



$39,063 07 



20,054 29 



1,499 20 



502 23 



$470 64 



1910 



192 82 



1911 



32 59 



1912 



18 60 







There are cases the final report of which has not yet been re- 

 ceived at this office, but they are few, and the damage is small. 

 Only three of the cases reported as committed during 1912 

 amounted to over $25 each. In one case about $200 worth of 



