The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-08-11
The Importance of the Public Land
Question to Western Development.
BY T. Wantand at the Trans Congress- Cripple Creek
OradO, July

Why is the public land question con-
sidered important?
Because in the western half of the
United States. exclusive of Alaska.
Uncle sam owns more than 500. 0OO. 600
acres, which. il handled properly here
after VIII surely bring great prosperity
10 lhe people or the entire country,
While II existing land conditions com
tinUe, the rapid development of a dozen
states and territories VIII be prevented
and the relief necessary in the over
crowded eastern centers of population
VIII nos be secured.
The secretary Of the interior says:
mat this vast acreage, apabie of
! sustaining and comfortably supporting.
under proper system OF irrigation. a
/ population of at least $4,000 600 people,
! should remain practically a desert, is
not IN harmony with the progress of the
age Or . n keeping with the possibilities
( OF tx E@ture'
The secretary of agriculture says:
More than One-unird of the country
/ depends upon the success of irrigation
TO maintain the people. the industries,
| and the political institutions of that
area, and future growth will also be
! measured by the Increase of the re-
/ claimed area
The last Republican national plat
/ form contained this plank,
] In further pursuance of the constant
policy OF the Republican party to pro-
/ vide free homes on the public domain,
/ we recommend adequate national legis-
/ lation 10 reclaim the arid lands of the
/ United States, reserving control of the
/ distribution of water for irrigation to
/ the respective states and territories"
And the last Democratic national
| platform contained this.
/ We favor an intelligent system of
/ improving the arid lands Of the west
| storing the waters for purposes of ir-
/ rigatiOn, and the holding of such lands
| for actual settlers
The great westward movement of
/ population halted and turned back
/ when the arid districts were reached.
/ The land laws were not suited to the
/ changed conditions found to exist In
/ arid America. If this fact had been
/ twenty-five years ago the western half
| of the United States would contain
/ 10000, 600 of people instead of about
/ 5000 600, the pitifUl story of the at
| tempted settlement of the semi-arid
plains would not be told, much of the
/ great loss in irrigation Investments
would have been avoided; IT would not
now be found that the increase in
| agriculture does not keep pace either
/ with any other branch of industry or
with population; instead of the ESQ.,
600 farms now in the eleven western
states there would probably be mill
lion: instead of about 10 per cent OF
the land area. being subject to private
control and taxation. probably 20 per
cent would be shsring the burdens of
taxation; so per cent of the population
would not be living in the cities and
towns; lssafHOuld not take ten years IN
Nevada @ report 5000 acres home
steaded, Colorado would not still have
over 40,000.000 acres of public lands,
and Kansas would not be bringing suit
against Colorado for stealing water
for both would have enough.
You know the story of the pioneers,
and the privauOns they endured on i
their long marches westward. and of !
the years of waiting for the develop
ment of mines to furnish home mar
ket for their products. and for the
coming Of the railroads to bring them
in touch again with the rest Of the
world
Surely the struggles of the pioneer
settlers of the mountain states, and the
work of the early railroad builders of |
theh west Justify US IN the belief that /
the natural advantages enjoyed during
the past twenty years should have
brought about a land development /
greater than the 100000 acres which /
viii probably be shown by the census |
returns as being now farmed under |
irrigation systems IN all the west.
We are assured that if the waters |
which now run to waste are stored. an I
additional $4,000. 900 acres can probably !
be reclaimed and made into homes for /
the millions in other states who would /
be glad to escape from JnfavOrable in /
dEStrial conditions.
The business interests of the country /
have never recognized or appreciated 4
this great opportunity for expansion 4
of trade and the creation of new wealth /
at home.
About 5O,O0O,OoO acres of the
public lands have been withdrawn 4
for forest reserves and probably /
another $4,000 600 viii be dedicated !
to this purpose for the protection of 1
water supplies in order that future
agricultural operations may be prop 4
erly cared for when the states affected [
reach greater development. But it has
been struggle to secure this great ad
vantage, as the very people who receive
the greatest benefits fail TO realize the
Importance Of protecting the forests
from hre, from in1udlClOuS grazing and
reckless destruction of young timber !
More than 300. 100000 acres of the re-
naming public lands are Of some use
for grazing purposes Owners of live
stock use these great grazing districts
as a common feeding and lighting
ground, without control or improve
ment and subject to constant conflicts
over the remaining grass. which, under
present conditions. cannot be preserved
or used TO the best advantage.
The secretary of agriculture says that
because of the abuse of the open range
the limits of the great American desert
are extending. and he is right.
In this great domain Uncle Sam al
lows his boys TO explore and TO claim
as their own the minerals which they
discover. As a result of this privilege
many millions have been added to the
wealth of the country, but as time has
developed improvements 10 all other
directions it would seem that from
study of the mining iaws of other
countries and the different conditions
existing in this, Improvements could be
made which would tend to better de-
velopment of mining fields and give to
the discOverer of mineral wealth great
er security. Litigation aud uncertain
ty resulting from conflicting rulings
and defective records and methods
have destroyed the hopes and dreams
of wealth of many poor man.
Public surveys and resurveys have
not been made 10 best accommodate
the mining interests. While the agri-
cultural college of each state receives
each year $4,000 from the receipts !
from public land sales, che miner af- J
ter complying with local regulations
and paying for surveys, pays
his S. or more an acre to his