The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-07-03

Sa5Ss DNSA AoPSAA
interior department, in it's application
to nfontana, with it's highly diversi-
haa soils and conditions.
How Law Is Evaded.
"Under tho doaa t and act, the en-
1tfymaE > raG - II reclaim his and
By 'c-on..Q~t43 Wa-or npon the same,
but there is no provision that can
compel him to continue the reclama-
on process, after the lands have
been proved up and patented. He
r-ay r5cla m his land according to
the letter of the law, make final proof
and pay for it, and then sell the water,
or divert it to another claim. In that
way, one small stream OF water suffi-
cient to reclaim 800 acres, only, may
be made to reclaim q half a dozen
or more tracts, as there is nothing in
the law, as | have stated, to prevent
the alienation of the water from land
once proved up and patented. But,
some will say, it will not be for the
interest Of the land owner to let the
land revert to the condition in which
the claimant found it. Such an as
sumption is not correct, TOR immense
bodies of land are being constantly
taken up under this act, not for ag-
ricultural purposes, but to extend
range limits for herds and f1ocks, or to
prevent the occupation of the land
by farmers and small settlers, and
such lands are seldom reclaimed in
accordance with the law. ."..-. w
An Outrageous Provision.
"But it seems that the desert land
! act did not afford facilities entirely
satisfactory to those desiring to OBJ
tain lands in large tracts, from the
! nation, for we find a provision adopted
March 3, 1891, whereby the desert
land claimant a assign his claim
! to another person after entry and
before patent. BY means of this pro:
vision, the capitalist or land corpora
ton can employ men and women
living in cities and villages to take
up lands, and by temporarily transfer
ring water rights to them, enable them
to make desert land entries. After
this, the claims, together with the
J water rights, are assigned to the land
company. By a proper manipulation
of these privileges, supposed to be
granted by the nation in the interest
of home-builders, capitalists and live
=, stock companies are rapidly becoming
the owners of large bodies OF the
most fertile and the most favorably
situated lands Of the Rocky Mountain
country. That a large part OF the de-
sert land entries and final proofs are
fraudulent cannot be denied. In my
opinion, there has not been a proper
, compliance with the act in n case
| out of ten. Doubtless this is largely
due to the fact that lands proved up
under the desert land act have not
been examined by agents OF the gov
eminent, except where contests were
| filed. If a few land inspectors of the
ability and integrity of Colonel Mosby
were given full authority to examine
the lands of Montana and Wyoming
acquired under the desert land act,
the results would create widespread
CONSERVATION. 1t is true, a few agents
could examine only a small number
of tracts, compared with the whole
number for which final proofs are
made annually, but the results OBJ
tanned would very largely put a stop
to the present wholesale frauds. II
a system of land inspection We're
adopted, men of sterling integrity
should be employed and the utmost
care should be used in selecting them.
The Sure Remedy. -
"But the nation should not tempo
rize with our present system OF land
acts. 1t should repeal the desert land
act and the communication clause of
the homestead act, without delay,
and thus save the public lands for the
people who will make homes upon
them. The eagerness with which the
public lands of Montana are now be-
ing taken up will be understood when
| state that 842 desert land and 76S
homestead filings were made in the
Great Falls land Office during the nine
ronths ending April 80 last. At this
rate, 2,14O desert land anu homestead
:, filings will be made in this Office in
one year, ending August 1 next, cover
ing probably 500, 900 acres. AS there