"T8 Probe into Land Matters" A dispatch dated 11/25/1902 said " All entries of public lands in CA, Washington, Oregon under the Timber & Stone Act, have been held up by the gov. on account of alleged wholesale speculative frauds and a rigid investigation will be made. There are some hundreds of thousands frauds in the entries & sec. Hitchcock will urge Congress the necessity of prompt action in amending the law to protect the public domain from despoilers." The unscrupulous speculators are claimed to have obtained timber upon their unreserved timber lands by making so called mining claims under the placer mining laws. All local land offices in the section involved, have been directed to immediately suspend action on all timber & stone entries.