Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-09-29
MUCH NEEDED LAW.

I
 Ing the provisions of the timber act t
 Arlzona, has met with the approval o
 IL. ID. Chillson, U. s. Deputy Minera
 Surveyor. He also brings up the ques
 ton ot more equitable and just lay
 for disposal of grazing lands in tn
 western territories and especially il
 Arizona We recognize the importanc,
 of Mir. Chillson's suggestions in tha
 direction, and 1t was the intention O
 the CITIZEN to raise the question at a1
 early day, but our Delegate in Congress
 has accomplished so little that it hardly
 seemed possible that he could introduce
 and secure the passage of law that
 must;necesssrily cover so large an ares
 of the public domain and which would
 have to be closely scrutnized and care.
 fully considered by both branches of
 Congress before it could be passed.
 There are millions of acres of land in
 Arizona that are worth from 20 to 25 cents an acre, but as Mir. Chillson says, ''are not worth SIPS per acre." and the government will never be able to sell it at that price. But it can be disposed of at 20 or 9 cents an acre, in large lots say of the size of half a township, in- stead of a quarter section. The grazing lands of Arizona can be disposed of Tn lots of 10000 acres, but no stockman would think of accepting 160 acres of mesa land as gift. With title to lO,OOO acres of grazing land, ranchers would be willing to expend money in developing water; but when they can obtain title to only few acres, there Is no encouragement offered them to de- velop water upon 1t, which may cost them several thousand dollars. We have over 5OOOO,OOO acres of grazing land in Arizona, nearly all of which would be entered up and paid for ID comparatively short time, if it could be had at what it is actually worth. The Government would get its pay and the land would become real property and could be taxed and made to bear its proportion of the bur dens of local and Territorial govern ment But under the present system of and pre-emptions, absolute ly nothing can be realized from grazing lands. The passage of such a bill is much needed in this Territory ,and as our intlmates, Is of even more importance to the future of Arizona than the timber act. With such a law n force Arizona would settle up with great rapidity. Water would be sought Tor and obtained in various ways not | thought of at this date; the whole coun- | ny would become vast stock range up- 'n which thousands and thousands of | ,attle would range and grow fat for oreigu markets. Yet we cannot hope | O easily secure the passage of such a aw. Those who are unscqusinted with 'ur country will look upon the passage 'f such law as in the interest of rich | nen, and the acquiring of large landed | s,tates. The only way to secure the pas age of such law is to get it before Congress and referred to a committee, who should be instructed to visit the grazing lands of Arizona and see for
 themselves the necessity for such law. )nce they go over the ground and see Or themselves, we will have no trouble n securing favorable report, as that committee could not help but see the for such law. Of course uch an act should not embrace farming ands; only the grazing lands should be remote from water courses.