The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1889-03-08

The conference committees Of the
two houses of congress have at last
agreed upon a general land law bill,
which, if it shall not be crowded over
by the general rush attendant upon
the last moments of session noted
for its dillv dallying, will no doubt
become a law. The minor details of
tue hill are not yet made public, but its
main features are such as will doubt
less meet with the approval of all
classes. The pre-emption, timber cul-
ture and desert land laws are repealed,
leaving the public lands of the United
States hereafter subject to acquisition
only upon compliance with the home
stead law. 1t could be wished, for the
benefit of the northwest. that the tim
Der culture law might remain in force
for a few years yet, as its provisions if
complied with would be of untold ben
eft to the treeless prairles of Dakota.
1t is generally conceded, however, that
the desert land and pre-emption laws
have already outlived their usefulness,
and there are many who think it would
have been far better for the northwest
If this country had been limited in its
settlement to the homestead and tim
Der culture laws. The violations of
the pre-emption law and the magnifed
view which has been taken of such
violations by an administration which
was disposed to look with disfavor
upon the political strength which the
northwest was attaining, have wrought
the most serious results. AS a direct
result of this, lands have decreased in
price until they would not sell for an
amount equal to the cost of the i'm
provement upon them; settlers in good
faith have been deprived not only of
their homes, but of all which makes
home enjoyable; public as well as indi-
vidual credit has been nearly des-
troyed and the country almost
depopulated These are the effects
which have been, not the direct out
growth of the pre-emption law, but of
the suspicious which have been awak-
ened in connection with it on account
of the looseness of its provisions. 1t
may not be denied that the law has
been violated. many times, but
for these violations the general
public more than the individual
has been made to pay the penalty.
And we are inclined to the opinion
that the public will not be sorry to see
it go.
In this connection the following
from the Sioux Falls Press may not be
out of point:
1t is proposed to abolish the timber
culture law, the desert land law and
the pre-emption law. This is sweep
ing change, and yet few will deny that
the move is in the right direction. The
sparcely settled condition of Dakota
today is largely due to the somewhat
too liberal land laws. The fact that
any head of family or single person
over tweaty-one years of age could in
a single year enter 48O acres OF land,
caused great rush of land seekers to
Dakota. Many of these entered timber
claims and pre-emptlons and made
proof on the latter, then entered a
homestead, sold the REIMBURSEMENT
and went back home with the pro-
ceeds, Thousands of acres of land are
now unoccupied because of Uncle
Sans liberalty, when there should in
fact be a family on every quarter Sec
tion. The truth is 100 acres of land is
enough for anyone to expect from the
government and is sufficient to induce
the landless to ehigrate west.
1t is pretty late in the day to make
the change, but there is no need of
giving away any more land than can
be obtained under the homestead law.
This is a liberal provision and the man
who will not come west to get its
benefit may just as we'll stay east.