The San Francisco call., 1896-03-09
PROTECTING THE LAND.

]. A. Edman presents in the Mining and
Scientific Press an able exposition of the
railroad land grant and the disastrous
effect on public interests which the fund
ing of the Central Pacific debt would have.
This phase of the funding fight has not
hitherto received the attention which its
importance deserves. AS Mr.. Edman
shows, an extension to fifty or hundred
years of the time for paying the debt
would strike q very serious blow to the
mining and agricultural interests OF Cali
fornia.
OF the 1S,426,o00 acres granted to the
Central Pacific the California and Oregon,
the Western Pacific and the Southern Pa
cific patents have been issued for 5,32S, ,246
acres, of which 1,105, 261 acres were
patented in 1895. The Miners Association
makes the following estimate of mineral
lands in the odd sections of the grant:
In the Central Pacific grant nt........... 704 900
In the California Pacific and Western Pa
In the Southern Pacific grant S94. 900
Total. 3, $500
"Assuming," says Mr.. Edman, "that 20
per cent of this land, being 729, 600 acres,
is now occupied and can be protected by
the miners and deducting this from the
above, would leave nearly $500 900 acres of
the best mineral land in the United States
to be absorbed by one railroad company.
Granting to the Southern Pacific Company
funding bill. extending theii lease of
power virtually for 100 years, the WELL
known ability of that corporation to orig
mate bold financial schemes would war
rant the belief that in the hands of q
gigantic mining trust these lands would
attain within twenty years fabulous value,
exceeding even the well-watered stock of
the parent company, and representing
more tangible assets than their present
bonds. With the added possession of 49,
100000 acres of agricultural land who can
foresee the future of such corporation
and Its influence on our institutions"
Mr.. Edman's suggestion is startling, but
entirely within the bounds of possibility.
That is to say, if the Government commits
itself to the policy contained in the fund.
ing scheme it will be bound to issue
patents to the granted lands, or at least to
prejudice the rights of the public in the
contention raised by the Miners Associa-
tion. Mr.. Edman makes another sugges-
ton, which is submitted here without
comment, but which should give reason
for serious reflection. He says:
"When active steps were taken to oppose
the approval by the General Land Office
OF the so-called free list filed by the South
ern Pacific Company during the spring of
se5, the organs of the company began
their attacks on hydraulic mining. in line
with their old policy of disrupting by Sec
tional preiudices and in the hope of sowing
disseEsions IN the association, among
which many influential mem bers were hy-
draulic miners" He says that in the i'm
pending conflict over land monopoly fos-
tered by venal National legislation "All
citizens alike are interested, and especially
the farmers of our State, who should never
forget the Mussel Slough massacre and
other crimes of the Southern Pacific
against the bone and sinew of the State.
Only in reconciling old differences and
working side by side for the common
good can path to victory be found by
the people,"