Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1901-12-10
OPPOSING LAND GRABS.
Selling Public Lands to 0ut-
Sjders A Rank Ofense.

The following C ,n"crnlng Nevada
=. Whelpley, trave ling coresp.r den.
I r the San Francisco Star, and lstcly
4Ipcared in that pAp,: 1t is datcG at
Carson.
In 1890 when in careless or irdff
erent mood Congress enacted Il law
at the instigation OF few far seeing
Nevada catt1emen by which the school
sections 10 and SO we're taken back
int. The possession of the United St:,,
es. In return for this refund OF 1an1,
Congress authorized the state OF Ne
vada to select 100000 acres of federal
lsn1 in any part Of the State desired,
and as fast as the selections had been
made title has been given. 1t is not
tee nuch to say that, from this piece
OF legislation. has arisen practically all
the ills which have inflicted this west
ern commonwealth.
The livestock growers OF the Pacific
Coast were quick to see the advantage
s to be obtained under this Ia - and
they secured the passage OF State
law which made it possible for one
man to obtain cctrol OF as much land
as he might choose.
The Nevada legislature enacted a
land law which gave each citizen the
right to buy go acres OF State land
This privilege was not confined to re-
sidents OF the State. and the land was
sold only after being selected by those
who were to buy
A cattleman desiring to secure
control OF d range filed an application
with the State government for the
purchase OF $40 acres OF land. this land
probably being distributed in 40 acre
tracts along one or more OF the MI
merous weilWatered fertile valleys OF
Nevada. 1t was not necessary that
this cattleman should conhne his appli-
catoin to this go acres however, for
the law allowed him to act as agent
Tor others: so all he had to do was
to use the names OF his family or his
friends. as the case might be. and file
application for as many 64o's as he
cared TO pay Tor.
The State law provides that the land
shall be sold for Sis per acre. 25c
per acre deposit is required at the time
OF purchase; the balance is held upor
25 years time with per cent interest
with the privilege OF paying up at an.
time the applicant may see fit. Thu
State Land Board took no interest il
these locations, other than to file ap
plications for the land to the Unitet
States government, charging the acre
age to the two million acre gran
which had been made by Congress-
This two million acres is now ex
haustcd and the people OF Nevad;
have an opportunity TO view the work
ings of this peculiar act. They tint
that through its instrumentality prob
ably one-third OF all the land in tn
State. now under private ownership
has passed into the hands OF a few
cattlemer, most OF them non-residen
Less than dozen men own over on
million acres OF land and this in stat
where there are less than four million
acres which are still owned by tn
United States government So lon
as this state law prevails and the gov
eminent lands may be secured unde
the grant, it is evident that no citize
would care to avail himself OF the fed
eral land laws, such as the homestea
act or the desert act with their NOR
fore title may be secured.
The correspondent then describes tn
political situation in Nevada at tn
time of the passage OF the preser
land laws and the acquiencense G
both Senators Jones and Stewart t
its PROVISIONS. He calls attention t
the fact that both Jones and Stewar
were only technically residents Of til
State and had little or no interest
its welfare. After reeounting how
senatorship are bid in from varior
amounts ranging from $4,000 to $40,
oco. thus gaining for the State Of Ne
vada the unenviable title Of the 'Ro
ten Borough" he pays the followin
tribute to Congressman Newands:
Representative Newiands is in fa