seen In varlous degrees of dllapida- |
ton, but they show no evidence of
genuine occupation. They have
never been in any sense homes,
Investigations have been carried on
where the commuted homesteads are
notable in number. The records of
some of the counties. examined show
that 90 per cent of the commuted
homesteads were transferred within
three months after acquisition of ti-|
tle, and evidence was obtained to
show that two-thirds of the, commu-
ters immediately left the state. In
many instances foreigners, particu-|
larly citizens of Canada, came into
this country, declared their intention
of becoming citizens ,took up home
steads, commuted, sold them ,and re-
turned to thelr native land.
The reasons given for adhering to
the commutation clause are diverse
and many of them are cogent when
applied to individual cases. It is]
said, for example, that the commu-|
ter desires to raise money for use in|
improving his place, This 1s often!
true, but in the majority of cases the
records show that the commuter im-|
mediately leaves the vicinity, The]
frequency of loans is traceable In|
many piaces directly to the activity
of agents of loan companies, who
are often United States commission.
ers also, eager first to induce settle-
ment and then to make these loans
on aecount of the double commission
received. Later they secure the
business which accrues to them
$
[4
\
|
last year the repeal of the assign-|
ment clause. This provision has
been made the convenient vehicle for
evading the spirit of the law and for |
facilitating the acquisition of lands in!
large holdings. The law limits the
amount which one person or associa: |
tion of persons may hold, by assign.
ment or otherwise, prior to patent to
320 acres of such arid or desert
lands, The most common form of at
tempted evasion of this requirement
Is for two or three Individuals to
form themselves into a corporation,
each individual member of the corpo-
ration securing, by entry or assign-
ment, 82 acres of such lands and
the corporation as such 820 acres.
These same individuals then form an-
other corporation under an entirely
different name gnd procure an as-
signment of another 820 acres, and |
this process 1s continued indefinitely,
The General Land Office has within
the past year endeavored to put a
stop to this practice by holding that
a corporation or association of ver. |
sons is not qualified to receive a des-
ert-land entry by assignment where
its individual members either singly |
or in the aggregate are holding 320 |
acres of such arid or desert lands,
This ruling, If enforced, will tend to
lessen the evils resulting from large
holdings prior to patent, but it is not
deemed possible to secure adequate
control of this question unless the
law prohibits assignments of desert.
land entries. By repealing that pro.
vision of the law and requiring the
claimant to show that he has made!
the entry for his own use and benefit
and not for the benefit of any other |
person or corporation and that he!
has made no agreement by which the
title shall inure to any other person
or corporation the evils Incident to
large holdings of such lands under
the sanction of law will be materially
lessened,
It is a striking fact that these large
ldings of desert land are not re-
and devoted to their best
{ use, Three bundred and twenty saeres
|
A. |
14x20 (inches, not feet) showing that false
swearing In acquiring government land is
no pew art, i
| not exceeding
through the foreclosure and transfer
of the property. The true working of |
the commutation clause does not ap-
wPeap. until after foreclosure upon the
maturityfof the loans
One s@nificant brought out by the
Invest fon is that a large portion
of the mmuters are we who
never blish a permanent resi
dence and who are employed tempo-
rarily in the towns as school teach-
ers or In domestic service, or who are
Hving with their parents. The great
majority of these commuters sell im-
mediately upon receiving title, the
business being transacted through
some agent who represents his client
ifn all dealings and prepares all pa-
pers.
The commutation clause, If it Is to
be retained to cover special eases,
should be effective only after not less
than three years’ actual-not con-
stractage—11¥ing at home on the land
Under present practice, the commuta-
tion period being fourteen months,
six months of this time is generally
taken to establish residence, so that
only eight months remain. This time
is usually arranged to incl
summer, so that the shack built need
not be habitable in severe winter
weather, and residence the
land ay consist merely in a sum
mer outing. Obviously it is
tial that residence shonld be far more,
strictly defined. It is probable that
lax interpretation and enforcement
of the provisions of the law regard-
ing residence is responsible for more
fraud under the homestead act than
all other causes combined.
It may be urged that
which have taken place
nen,
ude he
+i .
Le on
ARBeNn
frauds
the
the
under
| evils
of irrigable land is entirely too much
for economical handling by one per-
gon, On the other hand, inspection
shows that in the same locality and
under the same climatic conditions t
homestead entries, where not ecom-
muted, are reclaimed and utilized.
The desert-land act as it stands up-
on the statute books appears to have
many features which commend it
as before stated, practices gov-|
erning it have largely nullified its
good features, and the resulting
fully overcome with
the
cannot be
out legislaton.
The area
should be ¢
of the desert entry
it down from 320 acres to
160 acres, and discre-
tion should be given to the Secretary
of the Interior to ewut it down still
further where it is apparent that in-
tensive cultivatl is
farm of 820 acres, if
tirely too for
and its
other settlers from
country. Furthermore, it
monopoly easy
tion.
Actual living at home on the land
for not less thon two vears s '
| required before patent. Your
Commission can vt understand why
settler should be given both a |
mestead and a desert entry, either
%
practicable,
irrigated,
gingle
ply
coming
i
is en-|
faially,
prevents
into the
makes land
induces specula
large
n
| La nn sin
ana
of which without the other shouid su
fice, under the law, to turnish
home, 1 desert-land law
be a meant of settiement, and
bona fide residence should be
regaired,
Toe actna
crop sl
than one
him a |
rhould |
actual |
rigidly
il {
he
roduction of a valuable
juired on nat
of the
less
en
members of the Commis
| Oar nd th great m
them were found to be uninh
unirrigated, uncultivated, and
no improvements other than a
This applies both to desert entries up
which a final proof is now being
offered and to other entries to which
title has been given,
It is a fact that a small pro.
portion of the land disposed of under
the terms of the law has actually
been reclaimed and Im and
scrutiny of many hundreds of desert
“1 3 ©" Ly
abit
wi
a,
th
100,
on
very
form dt 1
igAteq,
REET Ae ORE, SV) Rh
SPLENDID WESTERN TIMBER GROVE.
Tn the Region Belng Despolled {
operations of the commutation elanse
are doe largely to lax administration,
The fact in that the precedents estab.
lished by decisions rendered on :
celal cases have so far weakened the
powers of administration that addi.
tional legislation is necessary.
Desert Land Law,
In the preceding report the opinion
was expressed that the desertdand
law should, for .
be allowed to stand,
changes in detafl. Tt was
for guidance, it would be possibls to
enforce this nw so that ita essential
reson should be sompited with.
ore careful analysis,
the operations of this act and of the
ctices which have grown up has
Mul Jour commission strongly to the
nafon that this law shonld be
modified In essential partisniars,
Your Commission recommended
a mT Ta Len LI eT
hollevad |
that, with the experience of the past
however, of
3)
'nder the Timber and Ptone Act
entries now passing to final nronf
shows that In the majority of eases
these lands are not actually ntiized,
but are being held for speculative
purposes, ng to severn! ennses,
among which are the laxity of some
| of the state laws governing appro
priation of water for irrigation pre
poses, and the insufMetency of the
water supply. considerable A1Menity
has heen shoonntered In administer.
Ing that provision of the Aesertland
Inwa which requires a olnimant to
have a permanent water right based
on prior appropriation. Very often
the waters of a stream are exhansted
by other appropriators before the
time when the elatmant goes
throngh the form of posting notices,
recording his enim, and complying
with other essentinle of the state law.
Notwithstanding this, he fornishes
the testimony #f two witnesses that
the water thas a nted has
ance
Al}
that the supply is adequate for that
purpose, While this showing, on its
face, indicates a compliance with
law, the fact remains that the water
supply, If any at all, is not sufficient
to permanently reclaim the land,
The ownership of stock in a
jected irrigation ditch which does
not exist in fact, or the ownership
of a pump temporarily Installed, has
often been accepted, in connection
with such testimony, as proof of the
possession of water, Many alleged
Irrigation ditches or reservoirs are
familiar to members of the Commis
sion which are utterly inadequate to
irrigate a square rod, and upon the
strength of such works patent has
frequently then Issued to 820 acres of
land,
Frauds committed through conven
tional forms of perjury and through
lack of proper verification of the
facts as to the recllamation of the
land justify the taking of immediate
and radical steps in the revision of
the law. The law should absolutely
require an actual adequate water
supply, and the limits as to quantity
should be defined.
In ghort, the law should render im-
possible the continuance of the
practices by which desert lands
without water, without cultivation,
and without crops are passed into
the possession of claimants,
pro-
Grabbing Lands.
The great bulk of the vacant pub-
lle lands throughout the West are un-
suitable for eultivation under the
present known conditions of agricul
ture, and so located that they can
not be reclaimed by irrigation, They
are, and probably always must be,
of chief value for grazing. There are
it Is estimated, wore than 300,000,
000 acres of public grazing land, an
area approximately equal to one-fifth
the extent of tl United States
proper. The exact limits can not be
set, for with seasoned chang large
areas of land which afford good
grazing one year are almost desert in
her, There are vast tracts
wooded timbered which
1 much and
clas the
Is made it will be im-
give with exactness the
tal acreage. The extent Is so vast
the commercial interests in-
volved so great as to demand in the
highest degree the wise and ser |
vative bauodiing of vast re-|
sources,
It is a matter
to know w
are
fi
f
we
oN
'
Hiso
land
importance,
sification of
anoi
of
ia
public lands
possible to
and
4
these
import ]
grazing
being used he best way |
the
lands
ossih'e
ment ( the cour
they are belng abused under a =)
1 which Is detrimental to such de- |
! ' 1 5 1 ly
Hu
Sd
£Y8-
At present the
are theoretically open commons,
vacant public lands]
free
all citizens but as a matter of fact |
have heen parceled]
mpacts
ms ine
its are |
Fo |
to
largs
out by 1
or rreements among he ny
pr sey rior
8 definite of
terests
are In fre-!
of incursions
a land!
been regarded
vad
} ’ five
xcinsivels
inged upot
hi on fo he |
shee] LOT
——— I ———————
ROCIHAMBEAU STATUE. ...
A Heroic Bronze Figure of France's
Field Marshall Standing In Front |e
of White House.
One of the very striking and ma jes
tle bits of brot Washingt ir
befiu statue which »
the Rocha:
in what was called Jackson S
ne in
nds
{uare,
oe
pois 2 ™
"
y dn —
TP EON
Calas
<r, @ wr
ROCHAMBEAU BTATUR,
Stands Opposite the White House,
hecanse of the presence there of!
Clark Mills’ equestrian statue of |
General Jackson, later ealled Tafa
votte pare, because of the erection
there of the great Tafavette statue,
and now very frequently ealled
Rochambean Park because of this)
elegant example of art, The statue]
was mnvelled In 1002. 7 stands 4
rectly In front of the White House,
The movement for the erection in
the National Capital of a statue of
Rochambenan was In recognition of
the dlose Hes between France and the
nited Win toe T™hia sentiment
was particnlarly strong after the
close of the Rpanish-Ameriean war
In view of the services rendered in
tha Interest of neace by Cambon the
French Ambassador, The govern.
ment of France had also just sent
over two superh Revrea vases 88 8
Fift to President MeKinley., Cone
grees gppronriated E7500 for the
tne, Rochambean commanded
the French forces sent to the as
sietance of the young republic of the
United States and which co.opemted
with the Continental army at York
Roshambonn sfatne Ta exe)
font art. The French As marshal
the fall aniferm of his mnk stands
with one arm ontetretohed ovid
pointing to the distant American
ony which he Is abont to help
At the base 18 a symbolle figure. T¢
fa the flgum of an
been used in recla hiv lead and
|
|
—.
|
COFFEE WAR
The Coffee Importers and Roasters are Attacking
POSTUM FOOD COFFEE
All Along the Line.
“THERE'S A REASON.”
Many people have found out the truth
fashioned coffee,
They have overcome disease ¢
The plan was eas
Quit Coffee and use Postum,
v and eure
V dna Sure,
aused by iL
about old Proce Fach yi
he whea
it
iS and
Proof with one's self is stronger than a
The Postum army grows by hundreds
yearly.
The old-fashioned Cofl
ing Postum through the
Because their pocl
drive the people bac]
One coffee pres
lately been expo
of very ordinar
Pp tatoes, and
Here's to you
A .
\nanias
will be deposited with any
(or a less amount if d
by any cofi
true we
13s
The Postu:
the world
.
futely
Infn ey
A Few Overiooks.
A Lr fii 00d Sr bend-iu~ owt today’
to hb
1 Mr. Shannon wife one even
business" and
r father do?
“Has he any money?
“Was lots
“Are you 1
her?
“How old is she?
“Where a you ging to live?
“Dd you ask her personally, or
write your proposal? bY ]
“Havn't you proposed to other girls? |
“How did you and I come to be such |
friends? |
‘Where are you going your |
honeymoon?
“Is it that tall gir! you took to the |
theatre one night last winter?
“Why didn't I ask you all this when
you told me?
“Were you go excited you couldn't
give me any information, but simply |
bad to talk about getting married?
“A prompt reply will help me to give
my wife some much-desired informa
tion. Next time you tell me you are |
going to be married, don't think that
is the really important feature about
it.-Yours hastily, Shannon.”
nc II o——
A darky was asked why he went|
away, and gave the following lucid an-
swer:
“1 didn't went. I didn't want to
went, and if I had wanted to went, I
couldn't have got to go no how.”
a —
There is a group of islands south of
New Zealand called the Seven Sisters,
sald to be subject to a practically
constant minfall. The same condi
at fret aloht™
14 Eg RE
i. h 4 '
Luca in ove
with |
re
|
:
$100,000.00 CASH |
{
{ }+
A Tension
Indicator
the state
of the tension at a glance.
Its use means time saving
and casier sewing.
It’s our owd invention
and is found only on the
WHITE
Sewing Machine.
We have other striking
improvements that appeal to
the careful buyer. Send for
our clegant H. T. catalog.
Wire Sewnvg Maca Co.
Cleveland, Ohio,
tions exist in Terra del Fuego, except
that the min often takes the form of
sleet or snow,
BULLD
BO conte everyw
Made bn Ligh snd Henry Welghes, for Man and Tout
Sane prise. With »
ahaniutely unbreakat
POSITIVELY
FWES &
Valuable Bookint, '
| allowed pension.
| erences furnished.
eAnneY
POT
opL. 84, #7 LINCOLN #T
sitor sees Postum made of diff
t berry treated by different
one part blended with a
So he knows Pos
PENSIONS.
Over one Million Dollars
allowed our clicuts during the last
six years,
Over one Thousand
claimsallowed through us dur-
ing the last six months, Dise
ability, Age and In-
crease pensions obtained
in the shortest possible time.
Widows' claims a specialty.
Usually granted within 90
days il placed with us immedi-
ately on soldier's death, Fees
fixed by law and payable out of
A successful
experience of 25 years and benefit
of daily calls at Pension Bureau
are at your service. Highest ref-
Local Magis-
trates pecuniarily
benefited by sending us
claims.
TABER & WHITMAN CO,
Warder Bid'g, Washington, D.C,
SILOS
Pine, Pir, Cypress and Yellow Pine,
Write for Catalogue.
Eagle Tank Co., 281 N. Green 8t.,
Chicago, II.
Mason $-Apmlin
PIANOS AND ORGANS
STANDARD OF THE WORLD
———————
view dengiin,
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a, sof, plishie Ball Dag leather smde. ther are
THE BEST SUSPENDER MADE,
we y om, We w Ppewipmad, for 80 comin
n Larger Saepender pe! Bett Bak om
PORTION, MASS, '* the wortd
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are the
Lyney, PERFECTION
STRAP LOCKS The NEWEST THINGS for CHRISTMAS
WEDDING (and other) PRESENTS
are our Lock Buckles for use on Trunks, Telescopes, Cases of all kinds,
Portfolios, Messenger Bags, ete.
They are the only Lock
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and are made of Manganese Bronge, which looks like gold,
is stronger than steel and will not rust.
Locks alone (easily
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attachable). Small, b0c ; medium, Te
(Beautifully band engraved and including monogram,
20¢ extra); with strap for trunk, $1.80 ; for case, $1.00 prepaid and re.
turnable if not delighted.
women wanted everywhere,
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Booklet on request, Balesmen and sales
Madison, Wis.