The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-24
4 SUGAR-COAT TED SCHEME
The Proposition to Lease the Fed
eral Lands.
SUICIDE FOR THE STATE
1t Would Open the Way for Unlimited
Corruption-Farmers DO Not Want
It-A Vigorous Policy Is
Necessary. -"-


ago there were not five men in
Cascade county who believed that
our benchlands or high prairies could
be successfully farmed without irriga-
ton. To-day the strings of farm Wag-
ons arriving daily in Great Falls from
the eastern and southern parts of this
county are in evidence That crops of
wheat, oats, barley and hay are being
produced abundantly on these lands.
The present year is known throughout
Montana as an "off year. and yet the
yield of choice hard spring wheat pro-
duced on these tablelands without irri-
cation runs from II bushels to % bush
els to the acre. One benchland farmer
within IL miles Of Great Falls has raised
the present year 8,45O bushels of No. l
hard wheat on 400 acres, being about 81
bushels to the acre. Not only have
these lands produced fair crops of
wheat this year, but the yield of oats
barley, peas and Austrian bronze has
been very satisfactory. The best testi-
mony to the certainty of yields, one
year with another, on these unirrigated
lands is shown in the fact that the ave-
rage yield of spring wheat to the acre
during the past nine years has been 70
bushels. The general prosperity that
has attended the work of pioneer farm
ers upon these lands is beginning to at
many farmers from Minnesota, Michi-
gan, Iowa and Wisconsin. This in1mi
grafton accounts for the large numper
of land entries made in this section of
Montana, and especially In Cascade
county, where 10000 acres, largely
homesteads, were taken up last year,
and from $4,000 to 10000 acres the pres
ent year. Now, all this is proof that
our early settlers have greatly UNDER
estimated the agricultural possibilities
of this state, just as the first white set
tiers of Minnesota and the Dakotas fail
ed to see the agricultural advantages OF
those states. In the face of this in
creasing interest in farming here, and
the growing belief that we have much
unoccupied land that can be success
fully employed in mixed farming, and
also with the fact before us that our
agricultural lands are being every day
taken UP by farmers, comes the nicely
sugar coated scheme of obtaining per-
nit from the United States government
for the Rocky mountain states to lease
the federal lands within their respective
limits to all persons who may wish to
occupy them. This scheme, as I at
tempted to show in a recent letter to
the Rocky Mountain Husbandman, did
not originate with farmers, is not in the
interest of farmers and is suicidal to
the growth of agriculture in Montana.
If our state ever becomes populous and
permanently prosperous, its valleys and
tableands must be settled with farm
ers. We should, at once, adopt a Wig
oroUs policy looking to the development
of the most comprehensive. irrigation
system. and at the same time we should
adopt an equally vigorous state policy
looking to the settlement of all our
lands that can be successfully Guilt
waited without irrigating methods. Mon
tana of all the Rocky mountain states
cannot afford to become party to the
leasing of federal lands, for If this plan
is adopted all the public lands within
our state of any value for agriculture
will at once fall into the hands of few
men. In my opinio =, this measure. If
enacted, will prove to be death blow
to our agricultural progress. This is
the age of all others when selfishness
and greed rule the land. The advocates
of this measure tell us the farming In
terest will be protected. I say it can
not, in the nature of the case. be pro-
tected as against the capitalist, and
you cannot frame and enforce leasing
act that will protect agriculture and en-
its growth here, as against the
of capital. so long as gramma
grass and blue joint grow upon these
After the passage of this
act two years will not elapse before all
the choicest unoccuped farm lands will
be leased They tell us the bona fide
settler will have preference right to
any leased land, but ] would like to see
the American. German or Scandinavian
farmer who could come into Montana
and file upon a quarter section of land
after it had been leased to the capt. |
talist
If this land leasing measure is adopt I
ed it will open the way to unlimited
in the state management of
these lands, and the election of public
officers will hinge largely upon this !
question.