The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-05-29
LAND LAW REFORM.

If the House committee on publ,
lands can have it's way the lan(
laws will be refcrme some what a
least, and the frauds checked. Tn,
bill noted in our dispatches TIT
other morning as having Deen re
ported by the committee for repeal
ing the redemption and timber cul
ture laws AM to amend the home
stead acts, is good beginning. The
timber culture act should never
have been passed. It has proven
advantageous to swinGlers, but has
been Of little or no good to govern
ment or the honest citizens. For
many years the presumption law
operated admirably. 1t was a
wise measure, advantageous to the
government and benehcent towards
the settler. But in late years it has
been taken advantage of by rogues,
swindlers and spectators for Selling
the best portions OF the public dos
main, while actual settlers were
compelled to accept inferior lands or
purchase at exorbitant prices, tkose
held by the rascals. In the report
accompanying the bill the commit
tee exposes some Of the frauds. In
some instances whole townships Of
the public land have been acquired
by capitalists who do not and never
did reside within hundreds of miles
OF the land. Paid agents have been
employed by them to secure
these lands, the tools receiving
a certain stipulated sum for their
services when they make the proof
required to entitle them to a patent
from the government and assign
their claims to their employers.
This is done, Of course, through per-
jury and subornation of perjury, for
each one Of these agents or claimants
is required to make settlement on
the presumption claim under the
law, and he must make oath before
the register or receiver of the land
in which the lands are situ-
ated on which he claims to have
settled for the purpose Of pre-
that he never has had the
benefit Of any right of pre-emption
that he has not settled upon and
such land to cell the same
on speculation, but in good faith TO |
it to his own exclusive |
use, and thst he has not directly or
made any agreement or |
contract in any way or manner with
any person Whatsoever by which the
title which he might acquire from
the government Of the United States
should in whole, or in part, inure
to the benefit of any person except
himself. 1t is known that this oath
Is daily taken by parties who make
it under contracts suchias are in
Dictated ABOVE. They file with the
register Of the land district iheif de-
clsration, make the necessary proofs, |
affidavit and payment, receive their !
title and transfer the same tc the |
parties with whom they made tie
bargain before they ATTEMPTED to |
make the presumption.
The pre- emption law should have
oeen repealed when the homestead
aw was passed, and the committee
thinks it should be done now. The
policy of the government is, or
should be, to give to citi'
zens who desire homes such
amount OF the public lands IS
will make them comfortable home-
,teads, where they enter upon 1t in
good faith, intending to live upon
and cultivate the same for a certain |
period of time. The nation, it is
true, has millions Of acres of unoc-
oupied land, but there is meme too |
much to supply the demands and |
wants Of honest homsteaders. |
There is not so much that any
more can be conferred on specu-