Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-03-13
AMENDED LAND LAWS.
Their Effects WiH be More Far
Reaching than Is Generally
Supposed.
The Pre- Emption and Timber-Cuiture Laws
are Repealed, and Changes are made
in Regard to Cutting Timber on
the Public Lands.

laws Is a measure that has
been too long delayed. Both
laws were frauds upon the peo-
pie, and their operation has
led to the acquisition of great
areas of the public land by
spectators and adventures,
and has inflicted upon this
western country the curse of a
horde of nonresident land
owners. Look around you at
the idle and unproductive
lands which have been absorb
ed by these people right here
on Camas Prairie. They were
acquired for speculative pur-
poses solely. The owners of
whole sections here are nom
residents. Many of them pay
no taxes, and none of them
ever lifted a little finger to i'm
prove their claims or to for
ward the interests of the coun-
try. We have in our minds
eye a dozen instances where
men have come to these west
ern states from the east in pur-
suit of health, and have gone
home after six months plea
sure trip in the summer season
with the title to quarter Sec
ton of the public domain in
their pocket. Sometimes they
would sell out after making
proof, and in this way a great
many small reservations have
been acquired, which are just
as detrimental to the prosperi-
ty of a country as those other
reservations which the Indians
own. The system is abolished
but its evil consequences still
remain to veX the people with
the inequalities it has created.
Even now there are myriads of
native born American citizens
who are cursing the criminal
folly of the government which
recklessly squandered instead
of preserving the magnificent
heritage of the public domain.
Besides repeating the timber
culture and presumption laws,
the new law provides that
homesteaders cannot commute
in six months, but must live
on their claims one year before
they can commute and pay the
customary $1.25 per acre out
side the raslroad limits, or
So 80 inside the railroad limits,
and secure title to the lands.
The bill also practically annuls
all contests for lands which
have been initiated for final
proof. A great many have been
made by settlers, and in many
instances are now pending be-
fore the interior department.
Special agents have reported
that the proofs made by the
settlers were unsatisfactory al
though the lands on which
proofs have been filed are sold
or have been foreclosed under
mortgages given by settlers to
obtain money for making final
proof payments. The act also
provides for the reservation of
sites for irrigation purposes,
and gives right Of way through
all properties owned by the U.
S. for the building of irrigation
canals and bitches. There is
a provision relating to the &C
QUESTION of town sites and
other property interests in A
]aska, and q modification of the
mineral land laws, which will
be of considerable benefit to
claimants. President Harrison
refused to sign the bill until
the provisions relating to the
cutting of timber in the miner
al states had been modified.
A Washington dispatch of
March A says that senators
Pettigrew, Casey, Sanders and
Allen worked nearly all night
to bring influence to bear upon
the president to sign the bill,
and it was largely through
them that a resolution to mod
ify the bill was passed through
congress. The dispatch con
tinues: Sat an early hour this
secretary Noble filed
nine sDecific reasons wbv tho