Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1885-09-18
THE STATE LANDS.

The action of the Regents of the
University in raising the price OF
the State lands from 81 % to 81 SO
per acre, is giving rise to great
deal of discussion. There are ar
guments made in favor of both
rates, and the matter is one which
is now open to- fair discussion by
the press of the State, not as it
may be Influenced by sectional
considerations, but as the result
may influence the future welfare of
the State. The State of Nevada
had granted, in lieu of the sixteenth
and thirty-sixth sections, about
100000 acres of land. 1t has
been selling this land in forty-acre
tracts, bodying up the land on both
sides of the streams and covering
springs. There is an instance on
Quiuu's river where the sale of
about 1900 acres Of land has
given the purchaser control Of
100000 acres. There is an in
stance on Mays river where the
Sale Of 1890 Is eS1 acres has given con
troll of 100000 acres. So long as
the State sells water and with it
the coatrol Of land 50 so per acre is
a very low price. By the time the
State has sold 100000 Ceres Of land
the remaining 100000 acres of
land will not be worth Is cents per
acre, because. taken in connection
with what the railroad company
owns, 100000 acres will cover all
the waten leaving the remainder Of
the State land entirely unstable
The lands of the State have been
sold in little narrow threads and
all the provisions of the law re-
stricting the right of each locator
and purchaser have been Of no avail
to prevent the grazing monopoly OF
the whole State. On Quinn's river
the State has sold both banks Of
that stream for 81 miles; little
narrow tape-worm thread running
I'D both banks of that water course.
1t gave the purchaser the fee simple
to 100000 acres. The purchaser
would have paid $40 per acre just
as readily as he did pay the price
asked. The State is in the hands
of a few herdsmen, simply through
the purchase of the water from the
State in recent times and from the
railroad in times past. The policy
Of the State of Nevada concerning
its lands has been the most waste
full, unwise and extravagant. Now
the question under consideration Is
whether or not the State ought to
have So so per acre for the land.
No one desires to purchase any
thing but watered sections, springs.
or the banks of streams. One
would think that a people under
standing the relation of grazing
land to water, could have evolved
policy concerning its lands which
would have sold the 100000 acres,
and which would have contributed
wealth and population. Instead OF
this, the State has committed the
folly Of permitting few people to
purchase the water-to devote the
entire country to few large ranges
to give control Of about 1000
acres for every ten acres purchased
by a few cattlemen. If proper
policy had been pursued Nevada
would have had a hundred small
herdsmen for every rachman today.
As long as the State pursues the
policy of selling the water, 1t ought
to raise the price to $40 per acre,
because by the time 100000 acres
will have been disposed of the re-
mainder Of the grant will be un-
salable. 1t is urged the rise in the
prices will keep out those who
would like to settle here. A man
who means business and wants l6O
acres of land will not walk past it,
if it has good water, because OF
81 so per acre. We submit that
one hundred ranchers each develop
ing ranches of 100 acres are much
better calculated to add to the
wealth and prosperity OF the State
than one man who has 10000
acres taken up and used for graz
ing alone.