The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-06-10
ALIEN LANDLORDS.
A Bill to Prevent Them Holding
Real Property in
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Some Interesting Statistics on Absentee Land
lOrdism-They are Mostly Members
of the British Nobility

WASHINGTON, June Representative
Oates, from the committee on judiciary,
today reported to the House bill to pro-
hibit aliens from acquiring title to or own
ing land within the United States An
elaborate report accompanied the bill The
committee says it is within the power of
the government to totally exclude aliens
from coming within its jurisdiction, as has
been done in the case OF the Chinese No
one questions that this sovereign power
certainly includes the lesser one
OF defining what property rights they may
exercise after they are admitted and dur
ing the continuance of their alien con-
dition.
~ our committee ascertained," SAYS the
report, with reasonable certainty. that
certain noblemen of Europe, principally
Englishmen, have acquired and now own,
IN the aggregate about twenty one million
acres OF land within tie United States
We have not sufficient information to state
the quantity owned by untitled aliens; nor
is it so important, as it is generally held in
| smaller bodies. This alien resident owner
snip viii, in the course Of time, lead TO
a system Of landlordism incompatible with
the best interests and free institutions
OF the United States. The foundation of such
system is being laid broadly IN the west
ern states and territories. The avarice
and enterprise Of European capitalists"
the report continues, ''have caused
| them TO invest many millions Of dollars
| in American railroad and land bonds,
covering, perhaps, 100,000O00 acres.
! Ihls aggressive foreign capital is not con-
lined to the lands it has purchased, but
overlapping its boundaries, has caused
hundreds of miles of the public domain to
be fenced up for the grazing of vast herds
! OF cattle and set at defiance the rights Of
the honest but humble settler''
The bill proposes to place aliens under
the disabilities of the civil laws as to all
/ future attempts to acquire lands in this
country. In other words, the report saws
the bill is declaration against absentee
landlordism. 1t declares that all foreign
persons who have not been naturaized
shall be incapable of taking title to
lands anywhere within the United
States except leaseholds for not
exceeding five years. 1t has no retroac-
| tive but prospective operation. 1t also
contains a provision which will compel
alien landowners to cease to be such or to
become citizens of the United States
within ten years. 1.-The bill,'' the report
says, would prevent any more abuse like
that of Mr.. Scully, who resides in Eng
land and is u subject of the Queen, but
owns $4,000 acres, occupied by tenants,
mostly ignorant foreigners, from whom he
receives as rent 100000 yearly and ex-
ponds it in Europe.
1.-The Schenley estate of about two
thousand acres within the city limits of
Pittsburg and Allegheny from the rents of
which the Scherleys, who are subjects of
the British Queen, draw annually not less
than one hundred thousand dollars is an
other instance of alien landIordism in
America.
''The tenth census shows that the United
States had 100000 tenant farmers. the
the world"
In conclusion the report says: 'sWith the
natural increase in the people and foreign
ers who flock to our shores annually, and
by competition are reducing the wages of
labor and making the battle for our people
harder, is problem for American states
men to solve. The multiplication of the
owners Of the soil is a corresponding en-
largement of the number of patriots and
every landowner in the country should
allegiance to the United States"