Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-09-13

| tion or the puDlic lands. II In Eener-
ally admitted that the present laws
have been outgrown ana that change
IL absolutely necessary. At the meet
ing OF the American Association for the
Advancement OF Science In Denver re-
Gently. c. +. Wantland OF the Union
Pacific land department read the fol-
lowing paper on the subject. which at-
| trlcted much attention:
| The story OF the public lands has
been told and rctold so often In WASH
inGton and In the West that nj last the
Importance OF the subject Is beginning
to be recognized. Uncle Sam has Sc
| cured from other countries and his
own Indians In all about two billions
OF acres. and now owns about half OF
that amount. The original cost OF the
vast territory covered by the I-ouisi-
| ana purchase In 1903 was about .
| cents per acre; the ccssion from Mex.
| leo In lSiS cost about cents per acre:
| Alaska. secured In 1857, cost about .
| cents per acre The net cost OF all the
remaining public lands. after consid-
ering expenditures and creliting re-
ccipts. Is probably about - cents per
acre, or a total OF a quarter OF n bill
lion dollars. II now costs about 81
100000 per annunf to maintain the land
| department. which employs about 5000
persons. Up to 1850 the total outlay
had been about S.1O.O0O.COO. or about
SlOp.Npupo In excess Of receipts: but
twenty-scv.n great states had been
added to the Union. which the census
OF 1870 showed had wealth amounting
To more than twenty billions OF dollars.
No man can estimate safely the pres
cnt value of the public domain. Prop
crly handled. Its development may as.
'onish the world and may provide the
safety valve needed when the next
period OF depression comes TO the
country. Neglected. rs at present. nnd
made subject to additional state and
national complications. IL may prove
To L. curse instead OF u blessing.
Omitting Alaska and other distant |
possessions. We ind over .GO.OO.OD
acres In the western states and terri. |
tories. about onc-hnif OF which arr nm. |
surveyed. About i51On6O ncrcs |
have been reserved for national parks |
and Indian nnd forest reservations.
About j6n.6p1D acrr. nrc considered |
OF some good for grazing purposes and |
nr- now used by abou, :..I.d1D0oO sheep |
and cattle ns common fighting grounds. |
under conditions gradually growing |
worse. as the prevention Of control |
makes protection and Improvement i'm. |
Possible.
These large tracts not isrins subject |
to state an.i county taxation. f.rvs. nd. |
diiionai tax burdens ut.on land. under |
private ownership. nnd prevent the |
states from using their school land. To |
the best advantage. Texas. owning NIL |
OF its lands. receives from lease rentals |
zach year ni-ou, S,sn.O1: Oklahoma. |
since i-,ins allowed To lease school 1
lands. has received about million dol.
lars.
The public land states ani terri. |
tories. leasing lands they now own. ~ |
c,'ivc about million dollars each year |
nnd " the public government land. .
within these states were under lease |
nj the same average rates. the amount
To h. realized In ten years would IL
sufficient. In connection with the net ~.
c-ipi. fEum public lands sale. 10 n.r-
than double the ara OF Irrigated land
IN MI the West. now estimated at TO-
"1urp acres.
The c-nsus returns show that In tho
cicrcn western state. there arr now
only about .lS.6O farm. aud tha,
Hi'au' hfty per crnt. VI the r-.ri- nrr
living IN the towns and cities. In tbt.
Er"ai country agriculture l. no, keep.
inc pace with amy other branch Of In.
dus'ry or with the population aud yet
We nr" assured that probably ss.s0..
80 sCrrs Of the public lands c4in l., re-
claimed " the waters. which now run
to waste. arr stored for us- Mt the
proper time. Surely the secretary OF
the Interior was right when he said.
That this vast acreage. capable Of sus.
ininins nni comfortably supporting
unh"r pTurcr system Of irrigation.
Mt least lD.sasp people should ~.
main practically desert. 1. no, in
harmony with the progress ~ the age
"r In keeping with the possibilities OF
the future
In ISL n grcht political party de-
cinrci the public lands To- h, sacred
trust. and that they should I've granted
~ limited quantities. For ten years
the homestead law was discussed in
congress In 1870 compromise meas
urc. providing for cash payment of
twenty-five cents PER acrc after FIVE
ycnrs residence. passed both houses.
but President Buchannn vetoed u. lie.
clarins that Congress had no power to
grant frcv homes ON public domain. or
To grant land for u<r in the ,s,turnttnu
" the people. In fs,s; the rr-a, fr-c
homestead act was passed. President
Lincoln signed u and considered II one
"f the best acts OF his life. Nipput i2D.-
u'.bb acres have hrsn taken up I'm.
der this law and under isS provisions.
nnd with the assistancr Of The mil.
roads. the prairie states wcrc develop
cd. II different conditions had not
bccn encountered ns the westward
movement reached what we now know
ns Arid America. probably under the
operations Of this same law the west
crn states would have to-day n large
population and scvcniy.nvc per cent.
OF their land AREA would not still be
In Uncle Sans hands
In 1873 convention Of ,tnns.M Miss
iss!ppi states and territories was held
~ Denver. Before that convention.
Governor Samuel II. Elbcrt Of Colo
rado. argued the cause Of the arid
west TIy stntp,i tIu .,u.ti,s.... -. l