The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-02
LEASE OF PUBLIC LANDS.
OTHER STATES THAN WASHING
TON INTERESTED IN 1T.
Division of Sentiment in This state,
Large Stockmen Favoring and
Smaller Ones opposing-BiIi for
Relief of Railroad Land settlers.

Special Dispatch to the Post-Intelligencer
| WASHINGTON Feb. 1.-Agitation OF
the matter OF leasing public lands. as stat
| ed by Representative Jones. in letters TO
| the Post-Intelligencer and other papers in
| various sections of the state, has developed
| the fact that there is great diversity Of
| opinion on this question.
| In the vicinity OF North Yakima 1t APP
gears that most OF the stockmen, particu-
larry the sheep raisers. favor the leasing
proposition. In the northern part OF the
| state. however, notably In Chelan and
Okanogan counties the leasing plan gen
| orally meets with dsfayor, particularly
| among small stock owners.
conservative conconsus Of opinion,
| however, IL that. IL the stock ranges Of the
| country remain as they now are. 1t will
| only be a matter OF a very short time
until they are all overfed and tramp
| ed out. 1t is asserted that small stock
| men viii be better of with small
range fenced In. producing a good crop Of
| grass. than to be compelled TO hustle for
| scant pasturage. IN common with others,
on the public range IL is the policy pro-
| posed in the bill which has been introduced
| to lease I'm as small ranges as possible and.
| when this Is taken into consideration, with
| the fact that such public ranges as now
| exist in the state OF Washington Of any
value or pdSturdge are TAR or from the
| settlements, II is urged that the objections
| of the small stockmen are not well founded.
OF course 1t is not to be forgotten that
| the bill is general one and great many
| other states are interested in the discus
! sion of the measure, The various views OF
| stockmen in the various states viii be
| thoroughly sified by the committee on pub
| lie lands and. II II be found that the pas
/ cage of such a measure would work a
| hardship upon any considerable number OF
| people. in any section, there can be small
hat will In stas..
mittee room or even IL reported, probably
| fail TO SECURE majority Of the house in
| its favor.
Limiting Forest Reserves.
Representative Jones' bill prohibiting
| the establishment or extension OF forest re-
serves in the state OF Washington. except
| by act OF congress. has created some little
| stir in the interior department, It speci-
| fically repeats all acts and parts of acts In
| consistent with its provisions
great deal OF complaint has been heard
| regarding the present wide extending boun-
| dares of the Olympic and Priest river for
| est reserves and strong efforts are being
made to acquire relimitation OF these
| boundaries. so that only actual timber land
| will be included leaving open to public
| use all lands mainly valuable for agricul-
| tural and grazing purposes
Another improvement which will be at
| tempted will be TO have regulations estab-
| lished under which sheep and cattle can be
pastured upon certain portions of the re-
serve. prior to making the surveys neces-
sary before the boundary lines can be
| changed.
Railroad Land Grant settlers.
Every settler who took up land within
| the limits OF railroad land grants which
have since been forfeited paying therefor
| Sc. per acre. when they would have had
to pay only Si3 per acre IL IL had not
| been within railroad grant limits viii he
particularly interested in the bill now be-
| ing urged by Representative Jones before
the public land committee Of the house.
OF which the full text Is here given;
BE IL enacted by the senate and house
| of representatives OF the United states OF
| America in congress assembled. That in
| all cases where parties as pra-emptors
| or homestead claimants. have paid double
| minimum price for land which IS within
the limits of any portion OF a grant TO a
railroad company which has been here
| tofore. or shall hereafter. he forfeited by
reason of any failure upon the part OF the
| grantee TO construct that portion of the
| railroad in the time for which such grant
| was made. or Is adjacent to or coterminus
| with such lands. tHe excess, one dollar and
twenty-five cents CiiS per share. shall be
ment therefor Spcn payment snaI be made
| only to the cntrymsn who made the ok
cess payment or to his executor or adj
| ministratoT for the benefit OF the estate;
| provided that no claim for any money I'M
| der this act shall be allowed unless the
same is duly made and presented to the
| department of the interior ~ the United
| States within the period of two years from
the date when such claim shall accrue
/ OF WitHln Two Gays OF the 4Ate OF the ap-
! prevail of this act and provided further.
| that nothing herein contained shall be 50
/ construed TO adect any land wang within
| the primary limits Of any railroad land
I grant where the road. TO which said grant
/ was made. has been constructed"
/ A similar hill, introduced by Senator
Mcbride, Of Oregon which has already
( passed the senate. Is also before the public
( land committee Of the house II is nroh-
/ able that Representative Jones win take
/ that measure up instead Of his own maxi
30
I sery, and endeavor TO secure lts passage
/ Through the house. Both men are 20
anxious 90 secure this relief for the set
tiers Of the Two states that there win
DO no disagreement regarding the exact
wording % the bin
Pay for Volunteers.
| Every Washington volunteer viii 30 in
I tercst~d IN a fun text " Representative
/ services IN the Philippines after the term
/ OF their enlistment had expired. II reads
4 as followE
| There shan be raid out Of any money
/ In the treasury. not otherwise apprDpri-
| ated. 20 each honorably discharged valun-
| seer soldier who served in Cssha in the
/ dred ana atty dollars Cs2sW ans 10 each
| houorably discharged volunteer soldier who
served IN the Philippines during The said
war or In the Philippine iusnrrection the
I sum 90 seven hundred and fifty dollars
$50. such payments are made In lieu nf
milsase from sai5 polpsts ard shan oe
war ISSUED upon proof of service ami hon
I orahe discharge
Alaska Lighthouse BtIi.
! Following Is the text ~ the revised aEhf-
I house bll as agreed upon hy che Wash
[ tnEton delegation and TIE secretary %
! the treasury
[ THAT the coast % the district o. Alaska
1 bs provided w8th necessary ui&s 20 safe
! navigation OF Alaskan waters ~ Inc 80
{ tatttshu,ent 81 srfnt lighthouse and Fog
! signal stations al twelve ar more rsotnts
! on said coast under the direction and
! mar the sum 81 sapoeo or ~ rauch there
/ of as may he necessary. be, ana the same
4 Hereby II appropriated therefor out q