DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
GENERAL LAND OFFICE,
Washington, March 12, 1932.

Memorandum for the Secretary.

I have by departmental reference request of the chairman on Public Lands and Surveys for report on S. 3711. Similar legislation was proposed in H. R. 9147, on which this office submitted a memorandum report to you on March 5, 1932.

The bill would extend the provisions of the national forest consolidation law of March 20, 1922 (40 Stat. 465), as amended, over any lands within 4 miles of the boundaries of the Chelan National Forest, Wash., and authorize addition to the forest of any lands in public ownership found to be valuable for national forest purposes within such area by proclamation of the President. This would permit private owners to exchange their lands within the area for an equal amount of national forest timber or lands in the State, including the public lands within the area.

The lands embraced in the surrounding 4-mile area contain approximately 359,942 acres and have largely passed out of Government ownership. The public lands are scattered tracts amounting to 35,935 acres, 2,766 acres thereof being embraced in unperfected entries. No provision is made in the bill for the protection of the existing valid claims or entries. About 1,920 acres of the public lands are embraced in power-site reserves and a few tracts are included in a bird reserve or first form reclamation withdrawal.

It appears from data on file in the Geological Survey and this office that certain of the lands involved have present or potential value for timber, and that while these areas have more or less grazing value, it is believed that the area as a whole is mainly valuable for its timber resources, and such lands are described as follows: T. 35 N., R. 20 E., Sec. 3, all; sec. 4, all; sec. 5, all; sec. 9, all; sec. 10, all. T. 35 N., R. 20 E., sec. 13, all; sec. 14, all; sec. 15, all; sec. 23, all; sec. 24, all; sec. 25, W. 2; sec. 36, NW. 4, S. 2.

T. 27 N., R. 21 E., secs. 2 to 5, inclusive; secs. 9 to 16, inclusive; secs. 19 to 36, inclusive.

T. 28 N., R. 21 E., secs. 1 to 4, inclusive; secs. 9 to 16, inclusive; secs. 21 to 24, inclusive; secs. 26 to 29, inclusive; secs. 32 to 35, inclusive.

T. 34 N., R. 21 E., sec. 8, W. 1⁄2 of W. 1⁄2; sec. 17, W. 1⁄2; sec. 21, W. 1⁄2 of SW. 1⁄4; sec. 20, all; sec. 28, NW. 14.

T. 35 N., R. 21 E., sec. 1, all; sec. 2, N. 1⁄2, SE. ; sec. 3, N. 1⁄2; secs. 4 to 9, inclusive; sec. 10, W. 1⁄2 of NW. 4, SW. 4; sec. 12, all; sec. 13, all; sec. 14, E.; sec. 15, NW. 4; secs. 16 to 21, inclusive; sec. 24, all; sec. 28, W.; sec. 29, all; sec. 30, N. 2.

T. 28 N., R. 22 E., sec. 1, E. 1⁄2; sec. 12, E. 1⁄2; secs. 4 to 9, inclusive; secs. 13 to 27, inclusive; secs. 34 to 36, inclusive.

T. 30 N., R. 22 E., sec. 24, SE. 4.

T. 31 N., R. 22 E., sec. 6, W. 1⁄2 of E. 2; sec. 7, E. 1⁄2; sec. 8, W. 1⁄2 of SW. 1⁄4. SE. 4 of SW. 4; sec. 17, W. 2, SE. 4; sec. 20, all; sec. 21, NW. 1⁄4 of NW. 1⁄4, S. 14 of NW. 4, SW. 4, NW. 4 of SE. 4, S. 1⁄2 of SE. 4.

T. 32 N., R. 22 E., sec. 1, S. 2; sec. 2, S. 1⁄2 of SE. 4; sec. 10, S. 1⁄2 of NE. 1⁄4, SE. 4; sec. 11, all; sec. 15, É. 1⁄2, E. 1⁄2 of SW. 4; sec. 18, W. 1⁄2 of W. %; sec. 19, W. 1⁄2 of W. 2; sec. 22, E. 2, E. 1⁄2 of W. 2; sec. 26, N. 1⁄2 of N. 1⁄2; sec. 27, N. 1⁄2 of NE. 4, NE. 4 of NW. 4; sec. 30, W. 1⁄2 of W.; sec. 31, W. 1⁄2 of W. 1⁄2. T. 33 N., R. 22 E., sec. 1, N. 1⁄2; sec. 2, NE. 4; sec. 19, all.

T. 34 N., R. 22 E., sec. 4, W. 2; sec. 5, NE. 4, N. 1⁄2 of SE. 4; sec. 9, W.; sec. 15, N., SE. ; sec. 16, NE. 4; sec. 23, NE. 4, E. 1⁄2 of NW. 1⁄4, SE. sec. 26, E.; sec. 35, E. 1⁄2; sec. 36, all.

T. 35 N., R. 22 E., sec. 30, N. 1⁄2, SE. ; sec. 31, NE. 4; sec. 32, N. 1⁄2, SE. . T. 28 N., R. 23 E., sec. 3, W. 1⁄2; secs. 4 to 9, inclusive; sec. 10, W. 1⁄2; sec. 15, W. ; sec. 16, all; sec. 21, NE. 4; sec. 22, NW. 1⁄4.

T. 29 N., R. 23 E., secs. 29 to 32, inclusive; sec. 33, NW. 1⁄4, S. 1⁄2; sec. 34, S. . T. 30 N., R. 23 E., sec. 30, N. 1⁄2.

T. 31 N., R. 23 E., secs. 1 to 6, inclusive; secs. 8 to 16, inclusive; sec. 17, E. 1⁄2; secs. 21 to 24, inclusive.

T. 37 N., R. 23 E., sec. 1, all; sec. 12, all; sec. 13, all; sec. 24, N. 1⁄2.

;

T. 38 N., R. 23 E., sec. 1, all; sec. 2, all; secs. 11 to 13, inclusive; sec. 14, E. 2; sec. 23, E. 1⁄2; sec. 24, all; sec. 25, all; sec. 26, E. 1⁄2; sec. 35, É. 1⁄2; sec. 36, all.

T. 39 N., R. 23 E., sec. 35, NE. 1⁄4, NE. % of NW. 1⁄4, S. 1⁄2 of NW. 4, S. ; sec. 36, all.

T. 32 N., R. 24 E., secs. 3 to 10, inclusive; secs. 15 to 22 inclusive; secs. 27 to 34 inclusive.

T. 33 N., R. 24 E., secs. 3 to 10, inclusive; secs. 15 to 22, inclusive; sec. 26, W. ; secs. 27 to 29, inclusive; sec. 30, E.; sec. 31, E.; secs. 32 to 34, inclusive; sec. 35, W. 2.

T. 34 N., R. 24 E., sec. 1, all; sec. 2, all; sec. 10, SE. 4; secs. 11 to 14, inclusive; sec. 15, NE. 4; S. 2; sec. 20, S. 2; sec. 21, S. 2; secs. 22 to 24, inclusive; sec. 26, N. 2; secs. 27 to 29, inclusive; sec. 30, NÉ. 4, S. 2; secs. 31 to 34, inclusive.

T. 35 N., R. 24 E., sec. 2, N. 2, SW. ; sec. 3, all; sec. 10, all; sec. 11, W. 2; sec. 14, NW. 1⁄4, S. 1⁄2; sec. 15, all; sec. 22, all; sec. 23, all; sec. 24, NW. 1⁄4, S. 1⁄2; secs. 25 to 27, inclusive.

T. 36 N., R. 24 E., sec. 1, E. 2; sec. 12, E. 2; sec. 34, all; sec. 35, all.

T. 37 N., R. 24 E., secs. 4 to 10, inclusive; sec. 13, W. 2; secs. 14 to 18, inclusive; sec. 19, N. 1⁄2, SE. ; secs. 20 to 23, inclusive; sec. 24, W. 2; secs. 25 to 27, inclusive; sec. 28, E. 2; sec. 35, all; sec. 36, all.

T. 38 N., R. 24 E., secs. 4 to 9, inclusive; secs. 16 to 20, inclusive; sec. 21, W. ; sec. 28, W.; secs. 29 to 32, inclusive; sec. 33, W. .

T. 39 N., R. 24 E., secs. 1 to 3, inclusive; secs. 10 to 15, inclusive; secs. 22 to 27, inclusive; secs. 31 to 33, inclusive.

T. 40 N., R. 24 E., sec. 2, W. 2; secs. 3 to 5, inclusive; sec. 6, NE. 4, SE. ; secs. 8 to 11, inclusive; secs. 14 to 17, inclusive; secs. 20 to 23, inclusive; secs. 26 to 29, inclusive; secs. 32 to 35, inclusive.

T. 34 N., R. 25 E., secs. 5 to 7, inclusive; sec. 8, N. 1⁄2 and SW. 4; sec. 17, NW. 1⁄4; sec. 18, all; sec. 19, N. 2.

T. 35 N., R. 25 É., sec. 19, SW. 4; sec. 30, NW. 4, S. 2; sec. 31, all; sec. 32, all. T. 36 N., R. 25 E., secs. 5 to 8, inclusive; sec. 9, W. 2; sec. 17, all; sec. 18, NE. 4, N. 1⁄2 of NW. 4, SW. % of NW. ; S. 1⁄2 of S. 1⁄2, NE. 4 of SE. ; sec. 25, S. 2; sec. 26, all; sec. 35, all; sec. 36, all.

T. 37 N., R. 25 E., sec. 30, W. 1⁄2; sec. 31, all; sec. 32, all.

T. 39 N., R. 25 E., sec. 6, all; sec. 7, all; sec. 18, all; sec. 19, all; sec. 30, all. T. 36 N., R. 26 E., sec. 30, N. 2; sec. 31, all; sec. 32, all.

Parts of the proposed addition not included in the above listed lands consist of open grass covered hills and nearly level areas of valley land that are nonforest in character, and should therefore not be added to the forest.

In view of the above I see no objection to enactment of the legislation proposed as to the above described lands which adjoin the forest and have present or potential timber value, provided provision is made for the protection of existing valid claims or entries and withdrawals.

C. C. MOORE, Commissioner.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
Washington, March 1, 1932.

Hon. GERALD P. NYE, Chairman

Committee on Public Lands and Surveys,

United States Senate.

DEAR SENATOR NYE: Reference is made to your letter of February 19, inclosing a copy of (S. 3711) a bill to authorize the adjustment of the boundaries of the Chelan National Forest, in the State of Washington, and for other purposes, and asking for a report thereon.

The Chelan National Forest is located on the east side of the Cascade Range in the northern part of the State of Washington and is made up of mountainous, timbered lands. Adjacent to this forest are lands which passed to private ownership before the forest was created. These lands are similar to those within the national forest; that is, they are timber producing and their principal value is for that purpose. Topographic, climatic, and soil conditions make them unsuited to agricultural use. Undoubtedly these lands should be managed so as to keep them productive as forest lands.

The proposed legislation would extend the forest exchange act to lands within 4 miles of the boundaries of the Chelan National Forest; that is, it would make it possible to acquire by exchange privately owned lands which are chiefly valuable for forest uses and to give in exchange therefor either national-forest lands or timber in the same State of equal value. Experience has shown that often exchanges of this nature can be effected in the public interest. The bill would further give the President authority within the area described to add to

the national forest any publicly owned lands which were found to be of such character that they should also be managed as forest properties.

The proposed legislation is permissive in character and would not in itself add any lands to the Chelan National Forest. If the bill were enacted into law, it would not add to the cost of administration of this national forest because the additional work would be slight and could be handled by the existing personnel. The department believes the enactment of the legislation would be in the public interest.

Mr. KING, from the Committee on Immigration, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 34]

The Committee on Immigration, to whom was referred the bill (S. 34) to provide for review of the action of consular officers in refusing immigration visas, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend tha tthe bill as amended do pass.

The change effected by the committee amendments is to make the Secretary of State the reviewing officer rather than the Secretary of Labor as provided in the bill as introduced.

The purpose of this bill is to provide a means for a review of the action of consular officers in refusing immigration visas to aliens desiring to come to the United States. Under subdivision (f) of section 2 of the immigration act of 1924 it is provided in substance that no immigration visa shall be issued to an immigrant if it appears to the consular officer that the immigrant is inadmissible to the United States under the immigration laws, nor shall an immigration visa be issued if the consular officer knows or has reason to believe that the immigrant is inadmissible to the United States under the immigration laws. It will be noted that under this section of the law the power of each individual consul to grant or refuse an immigration visa is absolute. Interested persons constantly claim that the system is a faulty one because there is no uniformity of requirements amongst the various consulates throughout the world. Some solution of this problem is deemed absolutely necessary for a proper enforcement of the immigration laws, and it is believed the only solution of the problem is to give to applicants for visas the right of appeal to a central body and inasmuch as consuls function under the Department of State it is believed that applicants for visas should be granted the right of appeal to the Secretary of State, and such is the object of this bill, as amended.

The policy contemplated by the bill is somewhat similar to that in immigration cases. When an alien applies for admission at a port of entry and is for any reason denied admission by the primary inspector, his case is heard by what is known as a board of special inquiry consisting of three officers. If the vote of the board is to deny admission, he is then notified of the right of appeal to the Secretary of Labor. The immigration act of 1917 authorizes such appeal, and sets forth the procedure thereon.

O