The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-01-14
Homesteads and Desert Lands.

WAsHrNGToN, January 13.-The bill
to repeal the presumption desert lands
and timber culture laws and amend the
the homestead law has passed the Sen
ate. The first section provides for a
repeaI OF the pre-emptfon law. This
repeal. however, does not affect the
rights OF anyperSon which are accruing
on the passage of the act. It further
provides that any person who has not
heretofore had the benefits of the pre-
emptiOn law, and who has failed, from
any cause, to perfect a. title 10 the land
heretofore entered by him under the
homestead laws, may make 4 second
homestead entry, in lieu of the pre-
emption privilege, which Is repealed.
Section 2 repeats the timber cul-
suTe law with prOyiso that it shall
not interfere with existing rights.
Section 3 amends the Revised Statutes
so. that persons who have aYailed them
selves of the homestead laws may pay a
minimum price for lands after eighteen
months from date of entry, provided
they file a preliminary notice SIX months
before.
Section 4 repeais the desert land act,
except as to the claims which exist at
the date of the passage Of the act.
Section 5. provides that no public
lands, except abandoned military or
other reservations, mineral lands and
otherlands, the sale OF which has been
authorized by special act of Congress.
shall be sold at public auction. or by
special private entry. All offered
public lands are withdrawn from
market. and shall be disposed OF. as I'M
offered public lands.
Senator Dolph, in report
accompanying the bill, says that,
under the, present laws. any
person can acquire title to 160 acres
under the presumption and homestead
and timber culture acts, or 4S8 acres in
all. The committee IS OF the opinion
that the time has come to limit the
requirement of government land by
one person. to 1859 acres. another reason
for the repeal of the prescription law
is the alarming increase Of fraudulent
claims under it lately reports say
that it has BEEN charged that this fault
was the execution of the law, but the
committee is of the opinion that the
law contains such inherent defects thai
fraudulent entry cannot be wholly pre-
vented. The increase of fraudulent
entries, in its opinion. is due to the in
creased value Of lands and the conse
quently greater inducements offered fol
the evasion of the law. The repeal o.
the timber culture law Is recommended
because. it has proved failure. The
report continuing. says that expert
ment has demonstrated thas the deser
land act, instead of securing the settle
ment and reclamation of desert land b.
actual settlers. has. been made tn
means Of securing fraudulent title t,
4 agricultural lands. There is
rapidly growing sentiment II
this country for the repeal. o
all laws providing for the disposal o
agricultural public lands, except tn,
homestead law that the pubic domain
shall hereafter be reserved for home.
for settlers The committee is of tn
opinion thnt this should be the futur,
policy of the government Even i
settlers are restricted to- f60 acres o
land it will be but a comparatively few
years before all the public lands suitable
for homes will be exhausted. In con
clusion the report says. aThe practica
exhaustion of our public domain will
force upOntlie attention of the peopl
of this country new, Important ant
difficult questions, and In the opinion o
the committee the time when our rap
idly increasing. population, instead o
being able to, take up hOznesteads on tn,
public lands and make homes for them
selves, shall be compelled to find home
i'll our overcrowded cities, should b,
wise legislation be postponed as long a
possible. !"