Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-10-31
PROTECT THE HOMESTEAOS.
Plea for The Actual Settler IN the
West.
HOW the LAWS ARE EvADtD

For more than forty years tho
phrase Homestead Law" has been
familiar to American ears.
Il opened a way for millions Of people
to get a foothold upon the land. The
idea was that as long as there was any
portion OF the public domain NJ for AK.
and not otherwise appropri-
ated. any citizen, or even any allen
who had declared his intention 70 be-
come a citizen. might obtain 100 acres
OF II by fling mis- claim. and paying
certain nominal fees. and settling up
on II to make his LONE In good faith.
Il was a beautiful act OF paternalism
Uncle sam. the rich and loving faith
or. dividing his estate among all his
children, natural and adopted Ana
the plan worked as beautifully az 10
sounded so long as there were farms
to be had in that part Of the public do
main which receives a good natural
rainfall Practically the last OF such
land has low passed away from the
government There is vast empire
yet left-an empire in which tens OF
millions Will some time dwell--but ev.
cry acre Of 1t must be irrigated before
1t will be fit for homes. When this
is done, one acre will be equal In pro.
ductive capacity 10 four acres depend
ing on rainfall
To Build a Home.
The central thought in the home
stead law, as the name implies. Is that
4 family should settle down to the en-.
Joyment OF IN independence from the
permanent filling CT the soil. When
II Is used for any other purpose il be.
comes a misnomer and a disgrace
The law sought to make sure OF the
permanence Of the settlers home by
providing that he should live upon and
cultivate his homestead entry for five
years before getting final title. IL
family could remain that length OF
time on quarter section, il would Ger.
tainly become established and attach
cd to the soil. In the view OF the law
makers. neither less nor more could
be asked as a demonstration of good
faith
But tho Communication clause goes
very far to nulify this wise provision
of the law in regard to a Ave years
continuous residence and cultivation.
Under this clause. title may pass TO
the settler at the end OF fourteen
months, on the payment OF SIPS per
acre.
Chance to Evsde the Law.
The Communication cause is entirely
unnecessary TO the settler who in
tends to comply In perfect good faith
with the letter and spirit of the home
stead law While 1t would be go,ns
too far to say that no one has ever
avaiied himself OF this means Of short.
ening his residence upon the land for
a worthy purpose, 1t is a fact that the
method is chiefly useful to those who
wish to evade the real intent of the
law.
There Is a great struggle for valua-
Bile pasture lands In the west. The
country continues to grow, and with
II the demand for beef and muttCu.
The public pasture available for live
stock does not grow, but becomes re-
latiyely less. Stockmen see the shad-
ow Of coming changes in land laws
when they will no longer be able to
| use the range without restrictions and
without price. Naturally enough, they
desire 20 make themselves secure in
the possession OF as much good graz
ing land as possible. There Is a way
in which this may be done, and this
is by means of the homestead law and
| convenient dummies" to make en-.
| tries under 1t.
Homestead Entries Of Today Largely
| Frauds.
As the law requires actual residence
II Ia desirable to have the required
| period as brief as possible. Residence
Upon 1t is usually no,ning more than
'bluff." A claim shanty is erected and
the owner does wen If he sleeps there
as often as one hight in six months.
Five years residence would give title
for q nominal price, but the claimant
would rather commut after fourteen
months and pay $1.2o per acre Ilav'
ing obtained title. the entryman can
] AAuhi'hlhN'As Sfil hAS lAhh W Guy INV
he chooses-which Is frequently the
individual or corporation for whose
benefit his fling was really made, In
such cases the money has been advan-
ced by the interested parties. while
the man who has loaned his rights 70
citizenship receives a nnIAat stipend
for the accommodahonH Considered
as a homemaking proposition, the
whole proceeding is "A rce.
The homestead law istall right. but
the Communication clause Us all wrong
The honest settler does not need IL;
and the country GOES not need the
other kind OF settlers. The president
has urgently demanded the repeal Of
this feature OF the law, and backed
by an enlightened and insistent pub
lie opinion. his acviee ought speedily
10 carry with congress