The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-23
LEASING PUBLIC LANDS.

lngtOn Tor leasing government lanu J
this section of the country fer grain
purposes. The general provisions {
the bill are that the leased lands shal
be withdrawn from settlement durin
the term Of the lease; that half the pre-
Deeds shall 60 to the general govern
mant and half to the state il which til
land il located, to be used for irrigation
purposes. Leases shall be made onl.
to citizens of the United States, for
period not exceeding ten years, with
privilege of renewal, and the minimum
price to be charged is one cent per acre
Objection is being urged to the pre-
pos.d law on the ground that it vii
retard the settlement OF the public do
main. and thus delay the development,
of the west, while it is also claimed
that the system would give the big
stockmen a monopoly Of the range and
force the small holder Of sheep and cat.
tie out of the business. On the other
hand, advocates Of the leasing system
contend it is n good thing, pointing to
the provision to enable the state to thus
raise a fund for irrigation purposes.
They declare that the result will lie
that much land will be reclaimed that
is now worthless, urging that this will
hasten instead Of retarding the settle.
ment Of the west.
Just what is the sentiment Of a ma.
jority Of the people Of the west OH the
proposed system is difficult to deter
mine. The small stockmen generally
seem to oppose it, but the leasing plan,
nevertheless, has many strong advo.
Gates. 1t was thoroughly discussed at
the recent annual meeting Of the Ma
tional Live Stock association at Fort
Worth. Texas, which appointed a COM.
mittee, consisting Of one member from
each Of the fifteen states and territories
in the west, to draft a bill to be pre-.
sented to congress. Hon. Paul McCor.
mick Of this city is the Montana men,
Der Of the committee, which is expected
to meet soon at Denver or some other
western city, and either draft a bill or
endorse the one that has already been
introduced. Whichever course is fol-
lowed. a law of this character will
probably be enacted, unless there are
strong protests against it, SO the people
Of Montana, who are vitally interested
in the proposed measure, should make
up their minds whether or not it Is a
good thing. Mr.. Mccormick thinks it
is, having recently thus expressed him.
self for publication:
My idea Of the whole situation il
that congress should enact u law by |
which these unoccupied lands could be
leased for a term Of years through the
local government land offices. subject,
of course. to tho approval Of the secre.
tary Of the interior. The money derived
from the lease should become a per-
manent fund belonging to the state for
the erection and maintenance Of irriga-
ton canals over such tracts or bodies of
lands that the state from time to time
might select, This plan Of leasing
would at once create a fund by which
the large state irrigation canals now
contemplated can, in course Of u few
years, DO constructed aud which under
present conditions will hardly be built
in our lifetime, The funds derived
from the leasing plan would be the
solution OF settling the bench lands
with small farmers, as has been con-
tenn plated by the state board of land
commissioners, but who have been
handicapped by the lack of money.
IN the tract Of land placed under
lease, rs ! have suggested, under FEEDER,
al authority, it should not necessarily
exclude q settler from entering OF co.
oapying, say 100 acres on more Of each
leased tract, which in this case would
no doubt he held by men having large
Numbers of cattle or sheep, In fact !
would favor making a provision IN the
law by which farming will be per,
mitted within tho leased area by parties
holding 40 interest whrateyer in the
lease. The large holders Of the range
stock need hay and plenty of it, aud it
has been thoroughly demonstrated
the past few years that the most
aaeeessful man IN the range industry is
tho man who makes provision TO feed
his hards during the severe winter
The day for u clash between
Tho small farmer and the large erower
" live stock Oh the open range Il past,
Ehe ono IL necessary 10 tho others sue
'esa. mud on this point there II no long
II Il difference af opinion,
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