Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-23

of it's new estates. The land belonged 10
a man named Ready Money Robinson. He
had bought a large part of 1t more than
half century ago paying little more
than 81 an acre for it. There were alto
gether about 1000 acres in the tract, COM
prsing some very rich agricultural terri
tory which was at the time devoted to sheep
raising. The assessed value of the lana
was equal to 81, J0oo0O, which was just
100000 more than the owner thought 1t
ought to be taxed. He objected and the
government thereupon took possession OF
the land upon his valuation. with 10 per
cent added. The land officials resurveyed
the estate and divided it up into farms OF
from fifty to 100 acres each and of pastoral
ranches of from 800 to 5000 acres. They
laid out town site and three village sites
and then built railroad through the es-
tate. Altogether they spent about SOo.OOO
in opening it up and then offered the lands
to the people. They were rapidly taken Up
upon the usual government terms, and at
the end of six years the government was
receiving 5l2 per cent on Its expenditures
Instead of a big sheep ranch the estate was
made up of small farms Land formerly
used for grazing was yielding forty-five
bushels of wheat to the acre and there were
] $50 acres of it in English grass. Aside
from the gricultural development more wool
and mutton was being shipped from the es-
tate than when it was all devoted to sheep.
In the neighborhsod of 10000 sheep and
lambs still exported from it every year.
When the government took that estate the
employees upon it numbered something like
a score. 1t supports now more than LOO
people and it is spotted with pretty farm
homes, with school houses here and there
Public Lands a Public Trust.
In chat with Mr.. Edward Tregear 1
asked him how ne could reconcile the ac-
ton of the government in forcing the estate
owners to give up their lands with the
rights of property. He replied:
1--WE do not look upon land as upon other
DrODertV Land should belong to the state.
1t is given to it by the Lord to be held in
trust for the people. 1t is all right Tor
man to own the improvements he makes
upon the land and to be allowed to sell them
or to leave them to his descendants: but as
to the land itself l don't think God ever
intended any one man to own vast tracts
for all time, or to allow him to say this
land shall be the property Of his children
and grandchildren to the tenth generation
Take for instance a man like Admiral
Dewey. He did great thing when he de-
feated the SPANISH in the Bay of Manila,
and your government ought to feel grateful
to him. ! should think it all right it 1t
expressed its gratitude in honors and pres
ents Suppose it gave him a million dol
| lars as a reward for his services. That
would be all right, but it would not be
| right for it to grant him and his descen
dants 100000 acres of land. This would
| be equal to pension of 100000 year TO
| his descendants for all time to come. II
| would be mortgaging the property of future
generations 1t would be robbng posterity
| of its rights. | don't think the government
has any more right to sell large tracts of
| land than it has to give them away. The
| ideal method would be for the government
| to own the land and lease it. and thar Is
| what we some day hope to accomplish
here. AS it is now, I think we have dissi-
| pated the hopes of those who wish to
| build up great estates as family inherit
| ances. No one dreams of that now for the
people know that the government VII!
| eventually divide them
i,,l- Mr. fc rtrr ~ TnN
| land will eventually become a land Of small
farms, although it may take years to make
| 1t so. By the present laws no man who
has more than $40 acres of land can OBJ
tain any of the public lands. The land Of
ficials will not grant more than this amount
and they will not give an applicant more
| than they think he can develop and care
for AS 1t Is, there are far more appli,
cants for the lands offered than there are
lands to give them. The government land
| agents examine all the applicants, an6
those who pass their examinations are al
lowed to ballot for the lands distributed
The government. in fact, divides the lane
| more as father among his children thar
| as land Spectator.
In addition to the methods of division
| have mentioned there are others which
permit a number of small farmers to gel
lands in a block. each taking something
like 200 acres. under what Is called he vii
lage settlement system. There is another
by which the government uses the uneln
ployed to clear its forest lands and SOW
them in grass. After this they are divided
up into small farms and are allotted t.
settlers at perpetual rental large enough
to cover all the cost Of clearing. and a
the same time give fair interest on tn,
value of the land. Up to March 81, 1892
forty-five such settlements. including al
area of 1900 acres. had been laid out
Upon them about 1900 people were living
and they had added improvements to tn
land amounting to $42O. 900. The size o
such holdings Is about 100 acres each"
~ FRANK q. CARPENTER.