The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-29

troll the-,big cattle and sheep ranges re-
alize more keenIy each year the en-
croachmentS of the settlers upon their
land To check this settlement and pre-
vent their ranges from being curtaiIed
they find it necessary to secure some
shadow" Of titleate land controlling the
water and valley meadows. The pre-
empt1on, timber -cultuEes.a1d4 private sale
of lands by the government having been
done away with, there are but two or
three ways in which MONOPOLY can be up
held and may be said in all con-
servatism that the homestead law, with
Its communication clause, IS now doing
more real damage to fhezprospects of the
western stateSSthan It IS good.
There is crying need for national legis-
latfon upon the subject. The communication
clause of the homestead act should be
promptly repealed; an amended home
stead law should be enacted which would
apply to the arid region and enable a
settler to secure title to his land with
out committing perjury The idea of
homestead law would be one which did
not waive in any particular the original
requirement of five years residence and
cultivation 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
year term necessary to secure title. Dur
ing the preliminary three years how
ever he should be required to give proof
each year that he was making substan-
tial progress in the work of retaining
his land from the descent by means of
lfr1gatlng bitches. In brief, the idea of a
homestead law would be one which, while
applying to the humid region, would also
carry with it such provisions as would
convert it into desert land homestead
act where the environment so required.
The principal use of the homestead act
as it stands today is for the fraudulent
requirement of cattle and sheep ranges
and the building UP of big land holdings
by corporations or individuals who are
protecting themselves against the gradual
contraction of the range and the absorb
ton of land. Some of these enterprises
are not entirely bad especially those
where great canals are built and the land
is needed for sale to settlers who will use
the water, but the purpose Is accom-
plshed through fraud, Which should be
unnecessary and should be vigorously
dealt with by the government. 1t seems
Incredible that men can be, hired so easily
to commit perjury. Each aid every home
steader who takes up claim with the
idea of selling it to 3 company or takes
1T up to accommodate his employer who
wants to range his sheep or cattle to the
exclusion of others, perfumes himself from
the time he makes the first application to
the moment he accomplishes his final
proof and receives his patent. In all the
land laws of the United States, a deflni-
ton Of perjury is givenarid the penalties
explained. But 1t has"becone the fashion
to regard perjury before the land Off
Gals as a legitimate means for acquiring
land. or for making money by helping
others to acquire the same. Such an at
titude has a delnoralizing effect upon any
community and the ethical as we'll as the
practical results are thoroughly bad.