Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-05-22
THE A FARMER.
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT BE-
LIEVES IN ENCOURAGING THE

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LIEVES IN ENCOURAGING THE
FARMER AND HOMESEEKER.
Pioneer Press: The intimate knowl-
edge of the west possessed by Presi-.
dent Roosevelt is likely to- result in
putting a stop to abuses of the public
lands by the cattlemen which have
been going on for years. The most
ubiquitous Of these practices is the I'M
authorized and illegal fencing in of
for miles, and the utter disregard Of
the rights of settlers. Not only have
the grazing rights OF" individual set
tiers been ignored. but water rights
upon which the prosperity and almost
the existence of the h~omesteaders de-
ponds have been ruthlessly encroached
upon. For these abuses there has
been on redress for the individual ex-
cept in appeals to the government
which have borne little fruit. The
occupiers of the public domain have
carried things with a high hand, ig-
noring the ruling of the land office
trusting to their inaccessibility to save
them from trouble.
But it appears that they have about
come to the end of their tether. Sec
rotary Hitchcock has ordered all cattle
on public domain to be Withdrawn by
June 30 and all fences to be lowered.
It has also been intimated to the cat
tlemen that if necessary United States
troops will be sent to enforce the order.
They have pleaded for delay, but have
been told that as the occupation of pub
lie lands for grazing purposes was pro-
hibited by congress as far back as 1885
no other course is open to the execu-
tive but to enforce the law.
Efforts are also making to pass laws
authorizing the lease of public lands
for CARING purposes, and several bills
to this end I now pending. None
of them, however, is likely to become
law, even if passed by congress, in view
of the pronounced hostility of Presi-
dent Roosevelt to any measure that
will check the occupation of the public
lands by permanent settlers. This
processes going steadily forward un-
der the desert claims act and the home
stead act. Last year under the for
mer law 152, $50 acres of land were dis
posed of to homeseekers, while under
the latter there were 80 ,654 Original
homestead entries involving 7,S74,255
acres, and 27,904 final entries involving
4,l33,O0O acres. These entries were
a source OF considerable revenue to the
government, and still more important
a of developing the vast unoc-
cupied areas of the west. The vacant
lands suitable for grazing comprise q
total OF 525, 600, 900 acres, much OF ii
fitted for farming purposes and des-
tined to become exceedingly profitable
under irrigation. To have it occupied
| by permanent settlers means the de-
velopment of it's to the ut.
most, whereas its subsection to the
cattlemen limits it to a single use and
in many cases to wasteful abuse. Acre
for acre western farms produce fol
market five head of cattle to one pro
duced on the ranges. Consequently
the subsection OF the public domain te
private ownership Of comparatively
small holdings, promises an increase
in the supply Of beef cattle.
In this connection it may be re
marked that one Of the grounds for ths
encouragement Of the small farmer il
the fact that under present conditions
q combination Of the cattle barons Il