Show Land Commissioner Make Male Annual x Report The annual report of the commissioner commissioner commissioner commis commis- of the general land office for forthe forthe forthe the last fiscal year adds an Interesting Interest interest- ing chapter to the story of our fed federal federal federal fed fed- eral land system and what It Is doIng doing dol do- do toward utilizing our national re re- re l Ing sources One notable fact to be noticed If Is that the handicap of the heavy acreage acreage acreage acre acre- age that the commissioner Inherited from the last administration has been successfully overcome through a a more effective organization of the clerical forces at his disposal Approximately Approximately Approximately Ap Ap- proximately more patents were Issued during 1922 than In 1921 Involving Involving involving in In- In- In an increase of acres Of this increase acres were covered by entries under the homestead laws making a total of acres patented under these laws Final homestead entries are now acted upon in the general land office within from thirty to ninety days after the final certificate 7 has has been issued It no longer being necessary for an to wait two two years or more more after having submitted submitted sub sub- satisfactory final proof for his patent r Area Arro Entered and Patented During the year that has passed entries were allowed for acres acres of w which ich amount acres were were taken under the stock- stock raising homestead act These figures indicate no falling of off In the desire of I our people to secure homes and farms on the public domain The area patented during this time is acres being a very substantial increase over the area patented the year previous as noted noted noted not not- ed above The total cash receipts for the fiscal fiscal fiscal fis fis- fis- fis cal cal year were yere n of ot e the deposit In the i treasury 01 or me tue of If receipts receipts re re- for the benefit of special funds under the direction of congress there was turned over to the United r States treasury to the credit of the general fund the sum of 1 42 To this branch of the public land service service is entrusted the duty of investigating investigating in- in In the field all charges affecting the integrity of transactions Involving title to the public lands as well as to protect our public t lan lands s from trespass or unlawful oc oc- Due to its activity during the year past was collected collected collected col col- and turned Into the United States tates treasury and recovered re- re covered through civil and criminal actions In cases of depredation on the public lands and ana during the same period acres were restored re restored restored re- re stored to the public domain Homestead Entries There is no feature of the public land service that appeals more directly directly di dl- to our people than the operations opera pera- operations of the homestead laws for every every ev ev- ery cry patent issued under under- its provisions provisions provis provIs- ions ons stands for a new unit in the substantial development of the state and the nation As noted above a special effort was directed during the Year Tear toward bringing up the arrears arrear- arrear s i. age ge that had heretofore existed inthis in inthis this class of work in the general land office with the result that it is isI isnow isnow I now current During the past year entries were allowed under the homestead act embracing embracing embracing em em- bracing an area of acres i r The commissioner reports satisfactory satisfactory satis saUs- I factory progress during the year ear I. I Particularly in the direction of closI closing closing clos clos- I ing Ingup up old and long pending pr projects pro pro- f issuing patents to the several I states tates to the to-the the lands which had bad been Drought under irrigation and restoring restoring restoring re re- re- re storing to the public domain the segregated lands could not be reclaimed During the year acres were patented t to the several States under under the Carey act act and and nd acres hereto ore segregated Were ere restored to the public domain Desert Land Lund Entries Very substantial progress is noted in the matter of reclamation of desert desert desert des des- ert lands Ono One thousand six hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred and seventy one final dese desert t land entries were received during the year and 1659 patents were is isSued issued issued is- is sued this law as ns against 1599 entries patented the year previous A substantial Increase In cases arising under the reclamation act Is noted especially In the number ol of annual entries approved for patentIng patenting patent- patent Ing lug amounting in course of the year to entries as against T last lasty y year ar The operation of this law has elimInated eliminated eliminated elim elim- to some extent work formerly considered as essentially within the jurisdIction of the general land office office office of of- fice but It has on tho the other hand added new work to more than offset that which It has removed During the past year power poyer applications aggregating aggregating ag ag- acres have been received for appropriate action as against acres last year About 1000 elections under Section 24 of said act have been called for as against last year In the greaf great majority of these cases elections electrons elec- elec have been filed ana and entries al allowed allowed allowed al- al lowed subject to the provisions of he federal water ater power poser act and e eThe The withdrawal of public public lands lands under the authority of the various a acts L applicable thereto or the restoration restoration restoration resto resto- ration o such lands of they are areno areno no longer required for tor the the purpose withdrawn wn are in a measure Indicative Indicative Indicative Indica Indica- tive of new lines of legislative action or consummation or some public land project During the past year acres of public lands were withdrawn or placed in a state stat of reservation and acres theretofore withdrawn or reserved were restored to entry or other proper prop prop- er disposition Some of or the lands restored were included In otner other corms lorms of withdrawals dome fome ome were patented or sUbJect to equitable rights and so did not become subject SUD- SUD to general entry or other disposition disposition disposition dis dis- position upon r restoration Among the other acts of congress for tor the benefit of service ex men Is public No 36 of January January 21 1922 which extended the oper oper- of the act of February 14 1920 conferrIng upon service ex men mena a preference right of ot entry for ninety ninety ninety nine nine- ty days in advance of other disposition disposition disposition tion of all lands released from withdrawal withdrawal withdrawal with with- or segregation or made subject subject sub sub- jeet to disposition through survey surveyor or resurvey During the year that Is past acres were restored to entry acres opened on survey all subject to the provisions of this resolution National Forests The acreage covered by our national national national na na- na- na forests Is always an important Item of general Interest Since the thelast thelast last annual report one national forest forest forest for for- est has been enlarged v seventeen have bee reduced and five have been enla enlarged ged under special acts of con con- gress Tho The gross area which has been added from the public domain durIng during during dur dur- ing fe to fiscal year Is acres and that acquired for forest reservation reservation reservation reser reser- p purposes under the act of March 1 1911 36 Stat aggregates aggregates aggregates gates acres There are now forests embracing acres of which a little over 86 per percent percent percent cent Is public lands The net in increase increase In in- crease in national forest area since the beginning of tho fiscal year Is acres During the fiscal year acres have been excluded and the tho public lands therein restored to entry and other disposition v While thero there were more moro applications applications applications for mineral patents parents received during the year that is past than during the tho year previous yet as a matter of fact the principal activities activities activities ties during the year were under th the he mineral leasing law However patents pat pat- cuts were were issued on applications embracing an area of ot acres |