Fergus County argus., 1898-02-02
Ceding of Public Lands.

State Land Register Moore, when |
tertainingly upon the subject of Sc
curing the ceding of all unoccupied
lands to the several states by the ma
tional government. Many promi- |
nent men in this and other states
favor this idea, and bill has already |
been introduced in congress to carry |
out such plan. Mr.. Moore's argu- |
ment was that the lands would then |
be more hastily made to earn rev.
enue, as they could be leased, as the |
state lands now are, and that the
public schools and state institutions
would receive corresponding benefit.
He further said that the public lands
were, on the whole, a direct expense
to the national government, the sums
derived from their sale not being suf-
ficient to meet the costs of the public
land department. On this latter
point we are not advised, but upon
the theory that the ceding of all pub
lie lands to the several states would
be of direct benefit to the inhabitants
of such state we are prepared to take
issue with those who favor such a
disposition of the public domain.
There can be no question but that
the public schools and state institu-
tions would greatly profit by such
method, as their revenues would be
quadrupled were the state equally
Sal l.l L. e = l,... a
tional lands as it is of those which
have already been ceded by the ma
tional government.
But that such an enactment would
|; be OF benefit to the citizens, and
therefore to the state, we much doubt.
1t is not the large stock owner who
is of the greatest benefit to the COM
munity and the state, but the home
steader who improves his possessions
and builds about him a home and EN-
courages Others to do likewise. A
citizen may now secure land from the
government either under the home
stead or desert land acts. ii by the
former method, he has but to estab-
lish home thereon for a period of
five years; if by the latter, he has to
prepare that land for cultivation by
irrigating every 40 acres, and further
must pay $l.25 an acre therefor. By
either method he becomes the abso-
lutte possessor of such land by the
payment or expenditure of a reason
able sum. On the other hand, state
| hn ,f M Io.,s, 4 ha y,
80 an acre, a figure altogether too
high, except forexceptional land, and
this class has nearly all been located.
Should the citizen not wish to pay
; 80 an acre for the land, he can lease
it for term OF three years at not less
than 6H per cent of the appraised
value, which must not be less than
SIS per acre. At the end of three
years, while the lessee has q some
what prior claim to a further lease or
purchase over any other applicant,
another may secure 1t by making a
higher bid and paying the first lessee
the appraised value of the improve
ments thereon. Thus it will be seen
there is little encouragement to the
settler to lease state lands and i'm
prove them, while the large stock
owners eagerly bid on the lands and
use them for range purposes. While
this method is very convenient for
the stockman, it does not encourage
settlement, and settlement by good,
honest citizens, who desire to make
, L hni nir In n 90 nj ifx-n
IA subsistence from such homestead, Ia
, what Montana and all western states
, most need. The homesteaders are
those which build up a community
/ which is a blessing to themselves and
Ito the state.