Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-10-09

In the introduction Of his article he
says; THE public land area TO which
the homestead law applied in spirit as
well as letter was practically exhausted
several years ago"
This is just as true Of Montana as
any other of the arid states, yet with
the blare of the trumpet the Great Falls
Tribune denies this statement and
says:
"Mr. Whepley's ideas are very good,
except that he makes a mistake in say
ing that there is no government land
now vacant upon which a homesteader
can make Il living for the first year or
two. II Mr.. Whelpley would visit
northern Montana he could be shown
thousands and thousands Of acres upon
which there will be no difficulty of do
ing this"
There may be some isolated spots
close to the mountain ranges where n
man could make a living on 100 acres,
providing he had n little bunch of cat
tie to start with. Even then he would
see the necessity for more land as his
herd grew, and with the desert land
law repealed how would he obtain such
land? Even on some Of the best land
taken up under the homestead act in
Fergus county men have been obliged
to work half of the year at anything
they could get TO do in order TO make a
living at first. Unless climatic condi-
tions change altogether and the pre-
~cipitation of moisture becomes as great
as in the Mississippi Valley states,
bench-land settlers will be taking
great risks. One favorable season is
no criterion. No farmer of limited
means can afford n partial failure of
crops, say nothing of a complete fail
urc or two in succession.
Undoubtedly, after the crcam Of the
land i, taken others will take a chance
and locate on the next best to be OBJ
tanned and in some instances the sclec-
tions will prove desirable and inhabit'
able, but il is a risk only the few will
take.
All that Mr.. Whelpley says Of the
Homestead law with its Communication
provision is undoubtedly true and that
il should be amended is self-evident.
but when il comes to amending il great
are should be used SO AS not to make
the law absolutely a dead letter. If
some latitude is not given it will prove
a hardship upon the well-intending
settler. As to the remedy, Mr.. Whelp-
ley says:
There is crying need for national
legislation upon the subject. The com
mutation clause of the homestead act
should be promptly repealed; an
amended homestead law should be en-
acted which would apply TO the arid
regions and enable n settler TO secure
title TO his land without committing
perjury. The idea Of Il homestead law
would be one which did not waive in
any particular the original require
ment of five years residence and cul-
tivation. Such a law would apply to
all classes of land. This law should
also carry the provision, however, that
a homesteader in the arid region should
have at least three years time in which
To first establish his residence upon the
land before he began To serve the five
van tArrl ta.n1Enrp 10 NnattrA tttl..
During the preliminary three years,
however, he should be required TO give
proof each year that he was making
substantial progress in the work of re-
claiming his land from the desert by
means of ~irrigating bitches. In brief,
the idea Of a homestead law would be
one which, while applying to the humid
region, would also carry with il such
provisions as would convert il into a
desert land homestead act where the
environments so required"
The suggestion that the ''home-
steader in the arid region should have
at least three years time in which TO
first establish his residence upon the
land before he began To serve the FIVE
year term necessary to secure title is
very good. OF course, as Mr.. Whelp-
ley says, the settler should be required
to make yearly proof that he is improv-
ing the land in good faith. Unques-
tionably the intent of the law is that
those taking up the land should live on
- nal np1.txrata - anl l,,ilI an 4. han,n
and the very fact that SO much of il is
disposed of under the Communication
agricultural purposes. But even though
the law has been and is being abused,
it has not resulted in so much detri-
ment as some would have us believe,
the government having received over
100000 for committed homesteads
in the past year. Much Of it, un-
fit for BODYBUILDING and settle
ment, has brought a fair revenue to
the general government and added
TO the taxable wealth of county and
state in which it is located. But Mr..
Whelpley confirms what we have stated
frequently, that there have been far
greater abuses under the homestead
law than under the desert land act,
which Paris Gibson and the Tribune
are so anxious to have repealed.
No radical changes should be made
in what are left of our land laws-sev
eral having been repealed. To make
the homestead law too strict would
prevent just what is desired, the taking
up of land by the actual settler. IL
Al - A.. lsa. La ,..u.,.a