LAND OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES, a government department charged with the management and disposal of the pub lic lands. On 25 April 1812 it was organized as a bureau of the Treasury Department, but on the creation of the Department of the In terior, it was transferred to the latter on 3 March 1849.
"Under the law, the Commissioner of the General Land Office shall perform, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, all executive duties appertaining to the surveying and sale of the public lands of the United States, or in any wise respecting such public lands, and, also, such as relate to private claims of land, and the issuing of patents for all grants of land under the authority of the The bureau is at present organized in 15 divisions and employs about 1,500 officials. The purchase, location and entry of land is made through local offices, of which there are 100 in continental United States and three. in Alaska. As the lands in a district are sold the
local office for that district is closed. The office employs a field force for the protection of public lands, to investigate timber trespass, un lawful enclosure, fraudulent entry, etc., or, in general, any infringement of the land laws. The cash receipts of the Land Office during the fiscal year ending 30 June 1917 amounted to $6,149,630.54, consisting of $3,632,021 from dis posal of public lands, $2,445,429 from sales of Indian lands, $4,996 from leases of power per mits etc., $38,639 from fines for depredations on the public lands, 5,395 for copies of rec ords and plots, and ,147 from sales of 'gov ernment property. T e area of public and In dian lands originally entered during the year amounted to 16,201,794 acres and lands patented to 11,313,362 acres. See PUBLIC LANDS, and consult Donaldson, Thomas,