2d Session. 1 No. 743. PROTECTING PUBLIC LANDS, TIMBER, ETC. LETTER FROM THE ACTING SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, TRANSMITTING A COPY OF A COMMUNICATION FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR SUBMITTING AN ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATION FOR PROTECTING THE PUBLIC LANDS, TIMBER, ETC. MARCH 4, 1910.-Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a communication from the Secretary of the Interior, of the 2d instant, submitting an increase in the estimate of appropriation on page 412 of the Annual Book of Estimates for 1911, under the title "Protecting public lands, timber, etc.," from $500,000 to $750,000. Respectfully, CHARLES D. NORTON, The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith an estimate from the Commissioner of the General Land Office, recommending an additional sum of $250,000 to the amount heretofore submitted of $500,000, for protecting the public lands, timber, etc., for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911. The commissioner fully explains the necessity for this increased amount, additional to that heretofore submitted. The recommenda tion as made by him meets with my approval, and the estimate in question is respectfully forwarded through your department for the appropriate action of the Congress. Respectfully, R. A. BALLINGER, The SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY. Secretary. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, GENERAL LAND OFFICE, Washington, D. C., March 2, 1910. SIR: In the estimates submitted to Congress December 6, 1909, by the Secretary of the Treasury, the estimate of the appropriation for protecting public lands, timber, etc., was given as $500,000. At the time when this estimate was under discussion with you for submission to the President, in the early part of last summer, it was my hope that our fieldwork would be so far advanced as to warrant a recommendation of $500,000 for the appropriation for this work for the next fiscal year. Our efforts have been largely concentrated on overcoming the accumulation of old work. There has, however, been an increased amount of new business, and, with the work which is yet to be performed, I respectfully submit to you the propriety of making a recommendation to the Appropriations Committee for an additional $250,000, bringing the total amount to be appropriated up to $750,000. It does not now seem that a less sum will warrant the office in entertaining a reasonable expectation of properly caring for the Government's interests in cases now pending. I submit for your consideration the following statistics: Cases pending January 1, 1909 Difference. This does not mean that of the cases pending on January 1, 1909, there Would give: Cases received or on hand between January 1, 1909, The total number of cases closed during the year, therefore, is. 31, 497 30, 363 1, 134 42, 191 (31,497) 73, 688 43, 325 Of the total cases pending January 1, 1909, viz, 31,497, I can not tell you the number of cases pending for field investigation. Prior to October 1, 1909, there was no separate account kept of cases pending field examination and cases still pending in the local offices for action other than by special agents. Since October 1, 1909, separate accounts have been kept, and our figures show that of the 30,363 cases pending January 1, 1910, 16,610 were pending for field investigation. During the calendar year 1909 there were 52,470 cases reported on. During the calendar year 1909 there were received 42,191 new cases. Given 35,000 new cases for this year and 16,610 cases pending for field investigation, that would be 51,610 cases which would have to be reported on during the next twelve months. There are also 13,753 cases pending elsewhere than for report by special agents, and a great number of these need the attention of special agents in hearings before registers and receivers or in court work before the various tribunals. It is very evident, therefore, that with a less appropriation than $750,000 we shall fall very largely behind in the work which will be before us during the next year. There has also been prepared in this office a tabulation setting forth by separate cases all of the large cases which are pending either in this department or before the Department of Justice. This tabulation shows that on January 1, 1910, this office had pending investigation or litigation affecting 7,674,542.59 acres of public land; that during the fiscal year January 1, 1909, to January 1, 1910, there was recovered and turned into the United States Treasury through the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice, upon cases investigated either in whole or in part by special agents of the General Land Office, the sum of $562,411.51; that during the same year there were recovered and restored to the public domain by reason of investigation by special agents of the General Land Office 681,127.45 acres, which acreage does not include lands freed from unlawful inclosure, but is confined to public lands to which persons had sought to acquire title. It also shows the cash actually recovered, plus the estimated value of the land recovered during the year, indicated to be $7,999,935.45. This estimated value of the land recovered is, of course, not a final valuation, but is a matter of opinion, and different persons conversant with public-land matters might doubtless differ as to the values. Very respectfully, The SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY. FRED DENNETT, Commissioner. Estimates of appropriations required for the service of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911, by the General Land Office. INTERIOR DEPARTMENT. PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE. Protecting public lands, timber, etc. Depredations on public timber, protecting public lands, and settlement of claims for swamp land and swamp-land indemnity: To meet the expenses of protecting timber on the public lands, and for the more efficient execution of the law and rules relating to the cutting thereof; of protecting public lands from illegal and fraudulent entry or appropriation, and of adjusting claims for swamp lands and indemnity for swamp lands, $750,000, to be immediately available, of which sum $500,000 is for the purpose of bringing up the work of the General Land Office hereunder so as to make the same current, and not exceeding $30,000, to enable the Commissioner of the General Land Office to complete the classification of lands within the land grant and indemnity limits of the grant to the Northern Pacific Railway Company, as defined by the act of Congress entitled "An act granting lands to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from Lake Superior to Puget Sound, on the Pacific coast, by the northern route," approved July 2, 1864, and acts supplemental to and amendatory thereof, with reference to the mineral or nonmineral character of such lands, and not exceeding $10,000 additional for expenses of hearings held by order of the Commissioner of the Gen- $750,000 Amount appropriated for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 1910. 1,000,000 NOTE. This estimate is submitted in lieu of the estimate of $500,000 transmitted to Congress by the Secretary of the Treasury under date of December 6, 1909, and contained on page 412, Book of Estimates of Appropriations, 1911. 2d Session. No. 744. COURT OF APPEALS BUILDING, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. LETTER FROM THE ACTING SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, TRANSMITTING A COPY OF A COMMUNICATION FROM THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL, SUBMITTING AN ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATION FOR CARE OF COURT OF APPEALS BUILDING, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. MARCH 4, 1910.-Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington, March 4, 1910. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, copy of a communication from the Attorney-General, of the 3d instant, submitting an estimate of appropriation in the sum of $3,120 for the necessary force for the care of the court of appeals building, District of Columbia, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911. Respectfully, CHARLES D. NORTON, The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, SIR: I have the honor to request that the following item be transmitted to Congress at once for inclusion in the appropriations for sundry civil expenses for the next fiscal year: Court of appeals building, District of Columbia: For the following force necessary for the care and protection of the court of appeals building: Two watchmen at seven hundred and twenty dollars each; one elevator operator at seven hundred and twenty dollars; two laborers at four hundred and eighty dollars each: Provided, That the |