The Portland daily press., 1883-12-07

which are produced here In great ouaatities
and OF the best quality. There are no coal
mines yet opened here deeper than seven hun
dred feet, and the depth of them varies from
that to the surface of the soil almost.
The farming here is not of the best and will
not be while land remains plenty and cheap.
and labor scarce and dear. The effort here is to
work" as many acres as possible to the
hand, while in older countries, it is to pro-
duce as much as possible to the acre. 1t will,
be so in the great West in time. Experiments
in that direction are sometimes made here
with wonderful results. Careful, thorough
and skfllful cultivation produces great crops
upon these rich prairies. In time, such cultiya-
ton will be the rule in all this region, when
the land will be made to support dense popu.
lation.
Yesterday. in coming By rail from Lincoln to
this city, there sat by my side banker who
has grown up from very small beginnings with
the country. lie said the ownership OF the land
IN large blocks by individuals, especially Nv
foreigners, is great evil, and as time passss
on the evil will become intensified. As we
pass through the country, it is easy to see at a
glance the diff renee between lands SO held and
rented. and those owned by those who
ments are constantly going or; in the former
case never. The farmer b as good house and
good farm buildings, always in good order.
while tee renter" has no interest or induce
ment OF any kind in that direction. He lives
In the cheapest way, with the cheapest bnild
ings, having no interest in expanding dollar
on improvements, which will attach 10 the land
and belong to the owner and mt ia him
Englishmen, mobiles as well as commcners are
acquiring great blocks of land in the newer
States fAFrifQpiQS az ho@ az.
evils of the Irish "absenteeismn NAV he fall
in this country by and by, and certainly would
De II our people could be made to submit to
them, as they cannot, I am confident: and this
system, II suffered to continue and grow, will
arouse the old "bsnburning, agitation bv
which New York was distracted not MANY
years ago. That this practice of ACQUIRING
great blocks of land by foreigners ought to be
prevented, seems to me very clear, but the
way in which it can be done is not so clear. tn
conversation with an eminent University pro-
lessor in England, on the English land system,
by which immense blocks of land are held in
dividually by noblemen and gentlemen he
said It would be changed by and by, for the
evils OF the system are very great. l said
saw no way of accomplishing that but BY
abolishing laws of entail and primogeniture
He replied that it would not be in that wav
but 1t would DO done. did not push him to
say what the method would probably be- be-
cause ne did not seem inclined to explain. But
in this country such system should not be
permitted to exist. Timber is one of the great
needs OF this region of country, but it cannot
be supplied under the system of 'rentine. .
Farmers make plantations of timber trees
winch grow with great rapidity on these fertile
lands, and add immensely to their value and
| to the common wealth. Renters" have no
| inducement to plant trees, as they would
inure to tie benefit of the owners, and not to
| them.
There is sitting here to-day@ the Estate CEN
| trail temperance committee membera of which
| from all parts of the State are stopping at the
hotel where am. The purpose Of the meet
| ing is to lay out system and adopt policy by
| which the objects of temperance men and
women NAV be most effectualy and most
| speedily obtained. What that policy will
probably be, am not in condition to state,
| because nothing has yet been agreed upon.
can only conjecture what the plan will be
| from prominent fact in the case
Three hundred Thousand petitioners sent
their names to the legislature praying that the
people might have submitted TO them pro
position for constitutional prohibition. This
the legislature refused. Afterward, at great
political convention, the friends of this
measure, succeeded in bringing it forward for
consideration in spite of violent and persistent
opposition, which amounted to an immense
clamor. The friends of the measure, thorough
ly masters of the situation, quietly per-
sisted, until they obtained deliberate vote
by yeas and nays, when they were beaten by
more than five to one. They said calmly,
that their purpose was fully accomplished in
compelling the party to take position upon
the question, boldly and finally. The party
now sees the fatal mistake it committed, but
too late. The meeting of the State temperance
committee is to determine "what to do about
it," NEAr, now.
*-This letter came undated and may have been
written before one already published At all events
the meeting here referred to occurred some time
agO.-ED,