PROOFS.

In the report of last year the following suggestions were made: At present proofs are taken before the register and receiver. This necessitates in many cases a long trip from the land to the local office and entails a large expense upon the applicant, who has to journey thereto and bring his witnesses to testify in support of his claim. If this course be not pursued, the proof is taken before a United States commissioner. There is attached to this course the expense of the journey to his office on the part of the claimant and his witnesses. Apart from this expense of the claimant the procedure is not satisfactory. The work of a special agent is largely that of investigating cases where false proofs have been made. It is respectfully recommended that a more expeditious way, and one where there would be less cost to the claimant, would be under a system allowing proofs to be taken upon the land itself, before a special agent designated to visit the land, who should be authorized to collect from the claimant a fee, the amount of which should be based upon the distance of the claim from some given point within the land district. The expenses of the agent could be so arranged that his visit would cost the claimant less, and the proof would be very much more satisfactory. There would also be a great saving in rendering unnecessary the expenses of a subsequent examination by a special agent to detect fraudulent proofs.

It is repeated with emphasis. By careful organization a system could be elaborated whereby the making of proofs could be simplified, promptness gained, and time saved. Much vexation is caused by the suspension of proofs on complaints made, and the charge has been made that the delays made pursuant thereto are not justified. It is unsafe to ignore complaints; there can be no forms established controlling the methods of making them; they do not come to the various field headquarters in any regular proportion to the proofs submitted; to maintain a force of agents large enough to keep pace with them when at their maximum would necessarily mean that many of the agents would have to be idle when the complaints dropped from the maximum to the minimum, and a larger appropriation of money would have to be demanded of Congress for the special agents' force; a waste of money and energy would ensue; all this could be obviated by the enactment of a law authorizing the procedure above recommended. If the proofs were taken on the homestead the facts would be established and the delay, now ensuing, of an investigation necessitated on account of the complaints made before or after the taking of the proof obviated.

LOCAL LAND OFFICES.

RECEIVER.

The recommendation made in the report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1910, in regard to the abolishment of the office of receiver is renewed. A far better organization at less expense could be perfected. There is no business reason to be advanced for the retention of the present organization of local land offices. It originated in the

era of sale, when the money value of the land disposed of was the paramount idea; it was retained without any real reason through the era of development; the coming era should see it abolished. The recommendation last year was as follows:

The organization of the local land offices should be changed and a great deal of money saved, and better administration secured, by the abolition of the positions of register and receiver and the creation of one position in lieu of the two. The positions of registers and receivers were created under the original organization when the duties were those of sales agent and recording officer. By additional legislation, as stated above, the duties of local officers have been changed. Under this dual system there is a divided responsibility. The register and receiver have to sign decisions and they are responsible together for the work of the office. This divided responsibility is not a successful method of management for any office. Experience has shown that there are frequent clashes between the two officers. The simplest organization would be the creation of a new office and the placing of one man in charge of all the work of the local office, and substituting for the receiver a bonded clerk. This bonded clerk could be secured for the work to be performed at a salary ranging from $1,500 to $2,000 a year; and the difference between that and the salary now paid to receivers would amount in saving to the Government, in round numbers, to about $150,000 a year. Better administration would be secured, and the Government would save a considerable sum.

HALL OF RECORDS.

The necessity of a Hall of Records is recognized. It is to be hoped that an appropriation will be made by Congress to provide this muchneeded building. This was urged in the report for last year. The urgency of the erection of this edifice is realized more every year. It is to be hoped that it will be provided before some disastrous fire may have destroyed papers which can not be replaced.

THE FIELD SERVICE.

On June 25, 1910, Congress appropriated the sum of $750,000 for the "Protection of public lands, timber, etc.," for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911, which amount was to be immediately available.

The average number of special agents employed per month under this appropriation during the fiscal year was 155. From this appropriation were also paid the salaries of the clerks to the chiefs of field divisions and the necessary temporary employees in this office to properly handle the work incident to the large number of reports being received from the field.

The total amount of cash collected and turned into the Treasury as a result of the work of the special agents in the field during the fiscal year is $229,193.68. Of this total amount collected, $100,099.70 was accepted as settlement for timber trespass and $129,093.98 was recovered by civil and criminal actions brought through the Department of Justice in cases of timber trespass and fines imposed and paid in cases of conspiracy, perjury, subornation of perjury, and unlawful inclosures, etc.

As a result of investigations, 2,200,401.25 acres have been restored to the public domain. Of this total amount restored, 703,680 acres represent area of fraudulent entries (taking an average of 160 acres to each entry) canceled on special agents' reports; 1,475,381 acres restored to open range on abatement of unlawful inclosures; and 21,340.25 acres were restored through suits to cancel patents fraudulently acquired, brought by the Department of Justice, on the recommendation of this office based on special agents' reports.

Special agents have personally examined and reported on 26,505 entries, 10,022 of which were adverse and 16,483 were favorable. In addition to the reports of special agents, 90 adverse reports and 181 favorable reports have been received from forest officers on entries within national forests. Reports on applications for rights of way over the public domain for reservoirs, canals, ditches, etc., were rendered on 220 such applications, 60 of which were adverse and 160 were favorable. Reports have been received on 31 State segregation lists, under the Carey Act, on which final action has not yet been had.

Nineteen civil suits were recommended for the setting aside of grants of rights of way over the public domain for reservoirs, canals, ditches, etc. Investigations are now in progress involving all such grants heretofore approved for such purposes, with a view of bringing civil action against all grantees where the evidence shows misuse, nonconstruction, or abandonment of such privileges.

During the year 530 civil suits were recommended, 304 civil suits have been won and 82 have been lost, of which 141 timber-trespass cases were won, recovering $107,772.42, and 40 were lost; 74 suits to vacate patents were won, restoring 21,340.25 acres to the public domain, and 33 such suits were lost; and 79 cases of unlawful inclosure were won, restoring 893,015 acres heretofore held under fence unlawfully.

At the close of this fiscal year 482 cases wherein criminal prosecution was recommended were pending before the Department of Justice.

Of the criminal cases closed during the year, 31 were convictions for timber trespass, of which 6 were prison sentences, and $8,227 in fines were assessed by the court and $1,640.18 paid; 21 were convictions for conspiracy, 17 of which were prison sentences and $20,050 in fines assessed, of which $9,200 were paid; 8 convictions for perjury and 6 prison sentences, $1,900 paid; 47 were convictions for maintaining unlawful inclosures on the public domain, $4,377.60 fines were assessed and paid; and 17 convictions were secured in cases of intimidation, etc., making a total of 124 convictions secured and 47 prison sentences imposed.

SURVEYING.

June 30, 1911, was the close of the first fiscal year under the direct system, and it is gratifying to be able to report that it has been an unqualified success. When the change of method from the contract to the direct system was first considered, it was expected that the cost of production would not be greater than that in the procedure which it was proposed to abandon. It was conceded that greater expedition would ensue and better work be accomplished, and this alone would have justified the change. The work of last season and this season, however, has shown that the average cost of survey of a township under the direct system is $750, or a saving of about $5 per mile, the average cost of surveys under the contract system being $15 per mile. As the number of miles surveyed during the past fiscal year will approximate 30,000, the saving to the Government, therefore, will be in the neighborhood of $150,000, this amount being available for the surveying of a larger mileage, thus greatly benefiting settlers in the West. There is in addition a saving from one to two years in time, counting from the time of the appropriation to the completion and adoption of the survey and the filing of the field notes in the surveyor general's office under the new system. This result has only been accomplished by the closest attention to economic equipment and means of subsistence of men and forage for animals, and by the employment of the best available engineers who have been engaged solely upon their past record for efficient services.

An important factor in minimizing the expense has been the purchase, where possible, of animals for transportation purposes. Great care has been used in selecting such stock as will be the most durable and efficient, taking into consideration the nature of the country to be surveyed and its climate. In one State the rate of hire for horses was found disproportionate to the value of the animals, and 36 horses were bought, at an average price of $85. These horses had saved for the Government in rent within three months after their purchase an amount equivalent to their cost at the rental asked by owners of horses of the same carrying capacity.

The instrumental equipment, which was at the date of the change of system very meager and necessitated the renting by the surveyors of their own transits, is now nearly complete, and all transitmen and surveyors are furnished with the most modern of solar instruments, thus securing the maximum of accuracy and expedition.

The iron corners now in use everywhere on public-land surveys are a considerable item of expense, but the universal praise given these monuments by settlers and interested parties justifies their employment wherever practicable to erect them. The main item is the expense of transportation from St. Louis to the outfitting point.

Invitations have been sent to manufacturing establishments in a number of large cities nearer the surveys to submit proposals for making these posts, but no favorable responses have been received. By shipping in carload quantities I have been able to reduce this expense, so that the freight charges have not averaged the past season over 20 per cent of the cost of manufacture.

The greater part of the force was taken from the ex-contractors, those whose work had been passed upon and found correct by examiners of surveys. They are not in the classified service, but examinations are to be held by the Civil Service Commission this winter, under which all unclassified transitmen or instrumentmen in good standing will be examined and duly certified to this office. All of the transitmen now in the service have signified their intention to take part, and it is believed an ample register of eligibles will be ready by the opening of next season.

During the past year the number of parties in the field have been increased to 115.

In addition to the surveyors, it has been necessary to maintain a force of 15 United States surveyors in examining surveys entered into by contract prior to July 1, 1910. This work, of course, will soon be brought to a finish. These surveyors were also engaged in executing fragmentary surveys, State boundary surveys, island surveys, etc.

In addition to the above force at work upon public-land surveying, this office, under existing regulations, undertakes the subdivision of Indian reservations for the purpose of allotment and subsequent opening for disposal to the public. The expenses for this work are, under the law, paid out of the appropriation for surveying and allotting Indian reservations. In this latter class of surveys it has been found possible, and in accordance with law, to perform not only the rectangular surveys but to do the topographic work in addition; the combining of the two has been shown to be more economical than by the detailing of special topographic parties to do this character of work after the rectangular survey has been completed. Under the laws now existing authority is not given to the commissioner to do the topographic work in conjunction with the township surveys. It is respectfully submitted that this authority ought to be given on grounds of business expediency and expedition; this especially so because of the demand in the West for the selection of lands for irrigation purposes under the Carey Act. A topographic survey made at the time of the rectangular survey would, without doubt, be of great assistance to those who desire to make Carey Act and other selections for the purposes of irrigation.

The office has received the heartiest cooperation from the surveyors general in the West in the installation of this new system, and a great