, 1892-01-31
ARID LANDS.

of ceding the arid lands OF the west 10
the states:
THE latest number OF the Common
ioealth Magazine contains a timely article
recommending the state ownership of
arid lands, which is reprinted in another
column of this issue. The writer pleads
more particularly for Wyoming, giving Of
fetal figures to show that 1t should own
all the public lands within Its boundaries,
and that such ownership would benefit
the country at large as well as the people
of that state. 1t has an area of over co.
900, 900 acres. but it is not self sustaining
though it has a diversity OF resources in
oil, iron, coal and other minerals. Its
$4,000 residents send each year nearly
81, 200, 900 abroad to pay for farm pro-
ducts which could be raised easily at
home. The fault lies with the national
land laws, under which a tract OF land
which cannot be reached by irrigation ex-
cept at a great expense, is subject to the
same rules for the requirement of owner
ship as are those contiguous to streams
which can be made productive at small
cost. As a result of this the land along
small streams has been filed upon; but
along the large streams, where enormous
capital is required to build dams and
bitches. immense tracts lie idle. Two
streams are mentioned which in June,
1890, were each discharging 10000 cubic
feet of water per second, and the water
running past 1900, 900 acres of land pro-
ducing nothing but scanty crops Of grass.
while that land would make 10000 good
farms Of so acres as productive as any sg-
gricultural region in the world.
Syudicates will not make the great out
lay of capital necessary to put in irriga
ton works aud supply water at paying
prices of rental to settlers without some
assurance of permanent income. A law
was recently in force prohibiting further
entries of lands susceptible OF irrigation
and another law withdrew from fling all
lands which might come under the ex-
detrimental irrigation schemes Of the gen
eral government. This injustice is all the
greater since in Wyoming and in nearly
all the arid states the control Of the water
supply has been transferred to the states
themselves, while every dollar expended
by individuals for land goes to the gen
eral government. The settler cannot
give the land he files upon as security to
the man or company OF men to whom he
would apply Tor aid 10 making it pro-
ductive. 1t is no wonder that under such
conditions Wyoming lies barren.
The ownership of the land within their
boundaries should be granted to the arid
states. 1t could be donated to them under
general restrictions, such as limiting the
area which can be decided to an individual
the state can charge, prohibiting it from
giving titles to corporations, and provId-
ing such other guards as would tend to
prevent the lands from becoming the pri-
vate spoils OF INSCRIPTIONS local land.
grabbers and politicians. The land along
the streams and in localities susceptible OF
irrigation should be allowed to be taken
only in small holdings, but contributory
to each of these should be an area of graz
ing land in the territory lying on a higher
level behind it, whioh should either be
rented to the holder of the irrigable land
or be held in common by the owners of
lands along the stream or In each irrigable
district. Behind these are the timber
areas at the heads of streams and on the
slopes and submits Of mountains where
are the natural sites for storage reservoirs.
OF course these would have to be taken
care of by the state. The transfer of pub
lie lands to it would enable each state to
harmonise its land laws with the local
conditions of its water system, placing the
control OF its lands in the hands of those
who best understand all the conditions
which affect them, aud who, knowing
their best value to the state, would take
the greatest pride in obtaining tor 1t the
best attainable measure OF profit. There
need be no fear that the rights of the
prospective settler would be lost sight OF
under such an arrangement. On the con
trary, the states having control of these
lands would emulate each other 10 offer
ing inducements to settlers and capital
lists.
The argument, presented especially on
behalf Of Wyoming, is applicable in its
broad features to all the federal arid terri,
tory beyond the goth and Tooth degree Of
longitude. 1t would be for the great
good of all of them to cede the arid lands
to the several states. leaving to them the
duty OF development from the resources
which then would be at their command.
Tb.s oo,rsn hoe La,. ,l,a.o,ol 49, tha
Tribune. which is entitled to the credit of
being the first influential paper to
advocate the cedinV of these lands by the
general government to those of the several
states in order to promote the retaining
to agriculture of these vast areas by irri-
CATION and as the only means by which
we can hope to see that Improvement
accomplished"