Is there a “Desert Land Act” under which our government disposes of public lands? If so, please explain it.
A. F. Coffey.
Answer.—Desert lands are such as will not produce crops without artificial irrigation. The act of March 3, 1877, provides that persons may make entry of such lands in the States of California, Oregon, and Nevada, and the Territories. The applicant for such land must file a declaration that he is a citizen, that he intends within three years to reclaim the said tract of desert land by conducting water thereon. It must be shown by two witnesses, in writing, that the tract comes within the statutory description of desert lands. At the end of three years, on proof that the land has been reclaimed by irrigation, a patent will issue for it on payment of 25 cents an acre.
REDUCTION OF THE NATIONAL DEBT.
Valley Center, Kan.
At the present rate of reduction how long will it take to extinguish the public debt?
W. W. Turner.
Answer.—There never has been any uniform rate of reduction of the National debt. It varies with the changes in the revenue laws, the business of the country, and appropriations from the Treasury for other purposes. The pension arrears act has already retarded the payment of the debt by over $100,000,000, and will continue to be a heavy drain for years to come. The recent reduction of the tariff and internal revenue taxes will reduce the National income greatly. The total debt at the highest point, Aug. 31, 1865, was $2,844,649,626; on Aug. 31, 1880, fifteen years later, it was $2,105,386,267. This shows an average reduction of nearly $50,000,000 a year. For the two years ending June 30, 1882, the reduction was $202,103,376, or over $101,000,000 per annum. With the recent reductions of the tariff and internal revenue and the heavy drafts for pensions it is not likely that this rate of debt reduction will be maintained, a rate which would extinguish the whole debt by the year 1900. It is proper to add that, deducting cash in the Treasury August 31, 1865, amounting to $88,218,055, the net debt at the highest point was $2,756,431,571.