Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-05-11
THE NATIONAL DOMAIN.

DONh AIM
With Alaska, there is about 2,3O0,
100000 acres of land lying within tn,
confines of the United States and Ter
ritories Of this vast area only one-fiftl
has passed into the hands of individual
by actual purchase, while nearly five
hundred million acres have been appro
priated for various purposes by the gen
eral government This includes the ac
tual land taken under the pre-. emptior
aud homestead acts, and amounts to SO
1914, 79O acres, The remainder has beel
given to railroad, canal and other inter
nal Improvement corporations. OF this
vast area, about four hundred million
acres, only 90,O00,000, have been taker
up by corporations who have completed
their work. The case stands then as
follows: Less than 100,000,00O acres
,, to homestead and dpre-emption settlers -
less than 10000, 600 acres to railroads
more than 300,00O,000 acres gone chief
ly to enrich spectators, making no i'm.
provements in return.
Last year there were projects before
Congress granting l90,00O,00O acres
more which if carried through, and some
Of them passed one branch, and all Of
Them were favorably entertained, will
make the whole amount given away
nearly as large as the country east Of
the Mississippi river. These lands are
given to railroad companies on the
ground that they will open the country
to more rapid settlement, On no othc,
ground can they be justified for a mo-
ment But the facts seem to be that
the lands so given away are kept out Of
the market, and to that extent the march
of civilization is retarded, the railroad
company holding land located on the
line of its road keeps it back for specu-
lative purposes by holding it at a price
50 much above the Government price
that settlers will not and cannot afford
to buy it,
1t should be embodied in every grant
made by Congress that the corporations
commence their work at a certain time,
and complete it at a certain time; like
wise, that if land must be given to rail
road corporations they must hold por-
tion at least, alternate sections for in
s sance, at government prices or at an
advance so slight in comparison with
location, that it would readily find pur
chasers. Nothing can be worse for a
country like ours than to have large
blocks Of choice lands held out of the
market by single proprietors Or corpora
tions. The progress of Canada was re
tarded by land monopolies more than
anything else, and it still labors under
the evil effects of that policy which kept
available lands from Improvement.
We do not, or at least should not,
make appropriations for the purpose Of
enrching the speculator, but insuring
the completion of needed improvements
If our Members of Congress and L. S,
Senators desire to confer the greatest
benefit to the greatest number, let them
cease Immediately in this wholesale Civ
ing away, for speculative purposes, oul
national domain. Every acre appropri-
ated is so much taken from our nation.
al treasury and obliges the raising by
taxation of so much more to meet the
current expenses Of the government and
reduces our ability to pay our national
debt. Every citizen of the United States
is thus proportionally interested in thi:
matter, and should take every opportu
nifty to inform the national Legislators
their opinion Of this subject Glare
mont On. H.) Eagle.