etc., act of February 15, 1901, $1,116.21; copies of records, plats, etc., made at General Land Office, $14,738.82, and at 13 surveyors general's offices, $4,900.79; making the aggregate cash receipts of this bureau during the fiscal year 1915, $5,394,948.20 (1914, $6,148,367.63), a decrease of $753,419.43.

The total expenses of district land offices for salaries and commissions of registers and receivers, and incidental expense during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1915, were $828,865.71, a decrease of $24,832.89. The aggregate expenditures and estimated liabilities of the public land service, including expenses of district land offices and surveys made, were $3,008,996.31, leaving a net surplus of $2,384,922.61 of receipts over expenditures.

Field service.-Notwithstanding a 10 per cent decrease in the field force, made necessary by the reduction of the appropriation, the number of cases pending investigation was reduced nearly 2,000 from that pending at the beginning of the year. Over 20,000 cases were investigated.

Reports are now coming in which will afford a basis for definite action by this office on cases pending in the California oil fields. It is anticipated that within a few months reports will be received on nearly all the pending cases. The investigating force has been still further increased over that maintained last year. Six suits had been brought to recover for trespass on oil lands committed in violation of Executive withdrawal orders. In most of those cases operations have been continued under receiverships, and in some instances the business has been operated more advantageously than under claimants' own operations.

Fifteen contracts have been entered into permitting the disposi tion of oil and gas produced from withdrawn oil lands which are embraced in application for patent. These contracts are authorized by the act of August 25, 1914 (38 Stat., 708). The form of contract adopted is simple and practical. The contract is clear in its terms and free from hampering and technical restrictions, yet the interests of the Government are amply protected. The portion of the gross proceeds of sales of the oil which is released to the operator is regarded as equaling the expense of operation plus a fair return upon the investment.

Public surveys.-The aggregate acreage of accepted surveys for the year past is greatly in excess of that of previous years, being much larger than in any year within the last two decades, the figures showing an area of accepted original surveys of 11,988,387 acres and 2,350,962 acres of resurveys.

In handling resurveys the office has adopted a new procedure under which a more specific showing for the necessity of such survey

is required. This plan works no hardship where the applications are of a meritorious character and serves to eliminate the expense of field examination.

The progress of surveys within railroad land grants is extremely gratifying. Approximately 3,000,000 acres were surveyed, employing 43 surveying parties.

During the year past a satisfactory conclusion to the long standing controversy over the identification of lands lying north of the third standard parallel in Imperial Valley has been accomplished. In addition to this, to the west of and adjoining Imperial Valley, resurveys were commenced under departmental authorization of January 26, 1915, and the resurvey of about 90,000 acres accomplished, while to the east of and adjoining the valley resurveys covering 190,000 acres were made under departmental order of February 13, 1915.

Fragmentary surveys, embracing areas of all sorts and kinds of various quantities, involve so many questions of complicated character that one of the supervisors of surveys has been detailed to this special duty, resulting in bringing this class of surveys up to date.

Alaska. The coal-land surveys made necessary under the act of October 20, 1914 (38 Stat., 741), as a preliminary to the leasing of coal lands in the Territory, have been prosecuted vigorously under a comprehensive field system, by which it is expected to complete during the present season all field work as to the coal areas in the Matanuska, Bering River, and Nenana coal fields.

During the fiscal year public-land surveys were extended over 90,000 acres of agricultural lands in the Cook Inlet district, northeasterly of Knik.

Reviewing the situation in the Territory, it is recommended that Congress be asked for a special appropriation of $50,000 for the survey of public lands in Alaska, to be made continuously available until expended.

Free permits for coal mining of small areas for purely local needs are granted under section 10 of the coal-leasing act, and in pursuance thereof regulations have been adopted under which a number of these permits have already been given.

Supplemental patents.-Under the act of Congress of April 14, 1914 (38 Stat., 355), there have been issued 1,227 supplemental patents in cases where the original patent reserved to the United States the coal deposit in the land, and such lands were subsequently classified as noncoal in character.

Homestead and kindred entries.-During the year past there were approved for patent 41,291 homestead entries, 794 timber and stone entries, 2,830 sales of isolated tracts, and 919 miscellaneous cash sales.

The preferred right of entry under the enlarged homestead act accorded applicants for undesignated lands by the amendatory act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat., 1162), has met with a remarkable response, there having been filed under the provisions of this act up to the 1st of September 6,621 applications.

Reclamation homesteads.-Notation is made of the fact that farm units embracing areas reasonably required for the support of one family have been established in 19 of the reclamation projects.

In addition to the projects being constructed under the provisions of the general reclamation act, several other projects upon Indian reservations are being constructed, under the provisions of the act applicable to such projects alone.

Ceded Chippewa lands.-There has been no opening to homestead settlement and entry of lands classified as agricultural in the ceded Chippewa Reservation since 1911, due to some necessary changes of Indian allotments.

The next opening will take place as soon as practicable, and will include about 50,000 acres of "cut-over" lands and about 4,850 acres of "pine" lands.

Minnesota drainage entries.-During the past year there were approved for patent 517 entries under the Minnesota drainage law, known as the Volstead Act, as against 245 for the preceding year. Serious difficulties in the administration of this law is noted, due to differences of views entertained by the State and the department as to the provisions of the statute.

Homesteads in national forests.-In the year past notices were issued under the act of June 11, 1906 (34 Stat., 233), of the restoration of 2,838 lists of lands in national forests, by which approximately 280,000 acres of agricultural lands were opened to settlement and entry.

Chippewa Indian timber logging.--The twelfth year of logging on ceded Chippewa lands closed June 30 last, and during said year there were cut and removed 46,272,950 feet of timber, valued at $373,442.73. Some falling off in logging is noted, due to the dullness in the lumber market, on which account some of the contractors obtained extensions of time to complete their cutting.

Abandoned military reservations.-Field work in connection with the survey and classification of the lands in the Fort Assinniboine Military Reservation has been completed, but the office work will not be finished for some time, so that it is impracticable to have an opening before next spring.

Plats of the survey of Fort Grant abandoned reservation have been approved, showing about 13,000 acres. Nearly 4,000 acres are included in grants to the State of Arizona. The remainder are to be appraised prior to their public offering.

Town-site and kindred entries.-Lots in 9 town sites were offered for sale at public auction during the months of June and July, 1914, resulting in the sale of more than 1,000 lots, for a sum in excess of $80,000. The sale of lots in town sites upon public lands in all cases has resulted in prices largely in excess of the appraised valuation.

The town of Anchorage, Alaska, on the Government railroad, was surveyed; 655 lots were sold in July at public sale for the sum of $148,980.

Flathead Indian lands.-The failure to secure, through congressional action, relief for settlers who were insisting upon a reappraisal of farm values, is noted, together with the fact that in the meantime action affecting these lands is suspended.

Regulations for the sale and removal of timber from lands classified as timber lands and the subsequent appraisal and opening of such lands to homestead entry have been approved.

Notices issued for the sale during August of 78,116 acres of agricultural lands under the act of April 23, 1904, and for 46,635 acres of barren and burnt-over lands.

Indian allotments.-During the past year 2,324 trust patents issued embracing 284,713.33 acres of land. During the same year 1,699 patents were issued conveying title in fee to Indians found competent to assume charge of their own affairs and to purchasers of allotted lands. The issuance of these fee patents operated to relieve 202,050 acres of land from restriction against alienation and rendered that amount of land subject to taxation.

Flathead villa sites.-Tracts set aside as villa sites under the act of April 12, 1910 (36 Stat., 296), were offered for sale at public auction during July and August. There were 889 parcels of land, not less than 2 nor more than 5 acres in area, fronting on Flathead Lake, subject to sale for the minimum price of $10 per acre. These lands, having a minimum valuation of less than $35,000, sold for approximately $125,000, some tracts bringing about $300 per acre. A general law authorizing the entry of public lands in the form of villa sites is recommended.

Railroad grants.-The total area certified and patented under railroad and wagon-road grants was 1,624,142.27 acres. In the adjustment of railroad grants, the adjudication of Carey Act propositions, and right-of-way applications, the work of the past year has been exceedingly satisfactory. There were finally adjudicated and closed 5,065 cases of all kinds, as against 4,245 cases of the year previous.

Rights of way.-Substantial progress has been made in the past year in clearing the records of approved railroad rights of way, where the roads have not been constructed, and requiring proof of construction in other cases. During the year 714 railroad right-of-way

grants have been investigated. Of these, 302 were declared to be forfeited under the several forfeiture acts; in the remainder of the cases the grantees were called upon to show cause why the grants should not be declared forfeited for failure to file evidence of construction.

In this line of work the following States have been fully covered: Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, and Wyoming.

Power-site reserves.-During the past year 56 withdrawals were made for this purpose, covering 292,134 acres. Of lands theretofore withdrawn, 55,646 acres were restored. At the end of the fiscal year 2,228,105 acres were included in withdrawals for power sites and 182,653 acres as public-water reserves.

State desert-land segregation.-A marked increase of work under Carey Act segregations is noted for the past year. Applications for withdrawal under the act of March 15, 1910, covering 1,048,654.80 acres were finally disposed of, as against 315,209 acres during the year previous.

Segregation lists to the amount of 108,464 acres were acted upon, as against 15,069 acres in 1914.

Patents were issued under Carey Act projects during the past year for 146,079 acres, as against 4,244 acres the year previous.

Desert-land entries.-Radical changes were made during the past year in the regulations under which desert-land entries are allowed, by which all applications are referred for a field examination as to feasibility prior to final action. For the relief of those who had made entries but could secure no adequate water supply the Land Department recommended, and Congress passed, the act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat., 1138). The necessity for a change in regulations and the remedial legislation is apparent from the fact that during the past two years upwards of 5,000 applications for extension of time within which to submit final proof have been considered wherein the claimants were unable to secure water for the irrigation of their lands within the period prescribed by law.

The amendment of the desert-land law by which entries shall be restricted to 160 acres is recommended.

During the past fiscal year 2,711 desert-land entries were patented, embracing 488,752.80 acres, as against 2,127 entries, embracing 346,794.74 acres during the prior year.

Irrigation projects.—Under the practice now in vogue irrigation projects alleged as sources of water supply in the case of desert-land entries are investigated in the field, wherein the examination covers all engineering features of the project involved. A study of the stream system is made, together with the adequacy and permanency of the water supply, construction and maintenance, the financial

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