Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1890-06-21
REPORT OF ALIEN LAND OWNER
SHIP.


SHIP.
The bill before Congress to prohibit aliens
from holding land in this country, noticed
some days ago, has been followed up by an
elaborate report from Mr.. Oates of Alabama,
one OF the members of the House Judiciary
Committee. Some of the statements are of
special interest. The committee ascertained
that certain noblemen in Europe, principally
lEnglishmen, had acquired and now own in
the United States about twenty lone million
acres of land. The land held by untitled
aliens probably amounts to as much more.
This nonresident ownership is leading to a
system of landlordism incompatible with
the interests of free institutions in the United
States. The foundation Of this alien system
is laid in the Western States and Territories.
1t could not Ike laid anywhere else, because
it would be impossible to consolidate such
large holdings Of cheap land in few hands.
The bill does not propose to con6scate or an
null any titles which have been acquired by
aliens, but it proposes to create disability
on the part of aliens for acquiring large areas
in the future.
The report points out that European capt.
.talists have invested sums in American rail-
road and land bonds covering perhaps
100, 900, 900 acres and that the greater part
under foreclosures sales, will in few years,
become the property of these foreign bond
holders. Foreign capital has been employed
to fence up thousands of miles Of the public
domain for the grazing Of vast herds of cat
tie, to the exclusion of the rights Of meri
torious settlers. The bill contains provision
which compels foreign land-holders to cease
to be such or to become American citizens
within ten years. The report aAirms that
the bill would correct such abuses as "lhat
of Mr.. Scully, who lives in England and is
a subject Of the Queen, but owns 10000
acres in Illinois, occupied by tenants, mostly
ignorant foreigners, from whom he receives
as rent 5000. 900 yearly and expends it in
Europe. The Scheuley estate of about 2, 900
acres, within the cities limits Of Pittsburg
and Allegheny, from the rents of which the
.Scheuley's, who are subjects Of the Queen,
draw annually not less than 500, 900, is
America. The Tenth Census shows that the
United States has $4,000 tenant farmers,
the largest number possessed by any ration
in the world" 1t is probable that the Eev-
enth Census will show much larger num-
Der Of tenant farmers than existed in this
country ten years ago. 1t will also show
that in the last ten years there has been the
largest area of land concentrated in the
hands Of nonresident aliens ever known N
the history of the country. 1t will not es-
cape notice that at the same time that i'm
Americans. But these are citizens who do
not propagate the worst evils of nonresident
landlordism. They put their land on the
market whenever they can get reasonable
advance on the first cost. In this way it is
segregated into homesteads. The number of
citizens who own the soil aud establish homes
for themselves is constantly increased.
Therein is a wide difference. The alien
landlord Is proud Of his holding. even if it
does not bring him in large revenue. He
boasts at home of his large dominion, and is
not disposed to furnish any encouragement
to settlers who are citizens OF the country.
But, as a general rule, the American land
owner has some pride of citizenship. The
country is good enough for him to live in it.
He encourages improvements, likes to help
along settlements and rising towns. The
greater part Of all the large areas now held
by Americans in the Northwest, are accessi-
BILE to settlers on some terms if the land is
fit for cultivation. Whenever colony is
seeking large tract for settlement it is sure
to have any number Of offers on advantageous
terms. But these offers rarely, If ever, are
made by alien landlords. The one system
encourages the segregation of land and the
requirement Of homesteads, and the other
does not.-S. F. Bulletin.