Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-01
70 LEASE PUBLIC land
Congressman Lacey Introduces
a Bill Aimed Indire city at
Beef Trust.
Would Grant Grazing Privileges
to the Homesteader and
Small Farmers.
Corporations Would Not Be Per.
mitted to Lease the Range
Lands.

Washington, May 1.-Representative
Lacey Il introduced bill aimed in
directly at the beef trust and directly
at the owners of large herds of live
stock 1t is for the purpose of grant
ing grazing privileges to homestead set
tiers and holders of small farms in the
arid and semi lard land region. 1t will
give the homestead settlers and the
small farmers the opportunity to i'm
prove and protect grass upon the pub
lie domain in the vicinity Of their hold
ings and will prevent further deterior-
alton and the monopolization of the
ranges by owners of large herds of live
stock.
} pro, ides that so much of the arid
and semi arid public lands not capable
of irrigation as may be necessary for
the purpose Of the proposed law may be
leased for stock grazing purposes, sub
ject to the right Of homestead, mineral,
and other entries, under existing laws
All leases will run for a period not ex-
lceeding five years, and leases will be
limited to an area not exceeding 5000
acres to any one person.
These leases can not be transferred.
and can be made only to actual nome
stead settlers or to freeholders whose
lands are in the vicinity of the lands to
be leased by them.
The holder of homestead, prior to
patent, may obtain a lease not exceed
ing ten times the area Of the land In
Guided in his homestead. The owners
or lands in freeholds may acquire ten
times the amount owned by them. but
they cannot lease more than $500 acres
During the continuance of any lease the
lessee may fence the leased land or
protect 1t from trespass in any law.
full manner.
Under the bill introduced by Mr..
Lacey no corporation will be permitted
to lease any lands under the proposed
law. Where two or more persons are
eligible to acquire leases and desire
leases upon the same land and there
is not land enough in the locality to
supply the applicants, then the lands
will be apportioned among the appli-
cants under rules and regulations to be
prescribed by the secretary Of the in
erior.
All lands to be leased under this act
must be classified and graded by the
secretary OF the interior into six classes
and the annual rentals will be one, two.
three, four, five and six cents an ccre.
according to class or grade, payable
at such times and In the manner pre-;
scribed by the secretary Of the interior
Nothing in the proposed law win
prevent the lesees or other persons or
corporations from the privilege of
grazing their stock upon the public
lands not included in the leases. When
any mineral or homestead or other
lawful entry Is made upon leasehold
lands the lease will be Cancelled.
In leasing lands the regulations will
provide for the reservation of watering
places and streams where practicable
to render them accessible from the
leased lands in the vicinity, and the
regulations made by the secretary Of
the interior must provide for the nee
essary right of way across other leased
lands in order to allow stockmen to
have access to lands leased by them.