The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-12

Former Demand Repeal Of Three
Acts-Latter Are Playing
for Delay.
From Tie Journal Bureau, Colorado Building,
Washington.
Washington. Nov. IA sharp
struggle has begun between the vast
interests in the west which are in
favor of and opposed to the repeal
of the public land laws. On the one
side are the organized irrigationists
of thirteen states, while on the other
are the lumber and cattle barons.
Both sides have millions to win or1
lose.
Here is the situation briefly: The
irrigationists charge that vast areas ii
of the public domain have been Sc
cured by private interests for inade-
quate compensation, by fraudulent
manipulation; and evasion of the pub
lic land laws The lands have been
obtained for grazing and numbering
purposes by the use, or misuse, of the
timber and stone act, the desert land
act and the Communication clause Of
the homestead act. The lands have
been obtained for a nominal price per
acre and are held in extensive tracts
s.
The irrigationists complain that the
denudation of the forests will dry up
the sources of water needed for irri-
cation. They also complain that the
great cattle companies are securing
lands for range purposes which ought
to be reserved by the government for
irrigation purposes and individual set
tlement. The irrigationists are fur
| Their interested in preventing the let
ting go of the public domain for in
adequate compensation, for the rea-
son that the recently passed irrigation
act devotes the returns Of the sale of
the public lands to reclaiming the
arid tracts. If the laws are. abused
and the lands go for a song, the recla-
nation fund will suffer.
No Question as to Frauds.
There is no real question of facts.
| It Is practically admitted by all that
the best lumber and grazing lands are.
being rapidly absorbed by the great
companies and wealthy individuals
who control, these industries. Nor is
It seriously denied that the laws have
been evaded and that the conpensa-
| ton returned has been entirely made
quate.
AS a remedy, the irrigationists pro-
pose the absolute repeal OF the acts.
The grazing and lumber interests adj:
abuses, particularly in the admins
tration of the law" and take the po-
sition that it will remedy the evils
to have few judicious amendments
attached to the acts, These interests
profess great solicitude as to the Ell
feet of the absolute repeal of the land
! laws, urging that this would cut off
all revenues from the reclamation
fund, and thus put an end TO the
national irrigation work
| The irrigationists reply that the
suggestions in regard to amendments
are mere subterfuges. employed Tor
purposes of delay. They assert that
the only way to put stop to- the
| land looting is to repeal the three
Iacts. and they meet the difficulty of
4 suspended revenues by the reply that
the SIG, 100000 now in hand will run
the work for three years at least, and
: by that time effective legislation may
\ be framed. 49,
What Roosevelt Said.
The irrigationists seem to have the
best of the argument. They have
President Roosevelt on their side, ano
to back up their contention, they quote
this from his last message to con
greSs:
future, and to whatever extent they may
| be reclaimed under the national Irrigation
law, the remaining public lands should o.
held rigidly for the home builder, the set
ttler who lives on his land and for NJ
| one else In their actual use the deser
land law, the timber and stone law ane
1.-the communication clause of the home
stead law have been so perverted from
1.-The intention with which they were en-
acted as to permit the acquisition Q
large areas of the public domain from
| other than actual settlers, and the conse
quent prevention of settlement
Chief Irrigationist Talks.
Speaking for the necessity of repeal
George H. Maxwell executive chair
man of the National Irrigation asso
citation, who was at the White Hous
last week talking of the matter to tn
president, says:
Everyone familiar with the work
ings of congress and the opportunit1e
for creating delays in committee:
of repeal should fall into this traI
and forego their demand for absolut
and immediate repeal the opponent
of repeal will create enough contro
versy over the nature Of the particula
amendments to be enacted by congress
to delay any action at all at the com
ing session.
'"The fault is not in the administra
zion of the law. The laws themselve
are structurally and fundamental
: wrong. They cannot be administers
and they cannot be amended SO as
be administered and prevent sue
abuses.
"The desert land act especial
violated the basic principle of tn
whole national irrigation movemen
which is that no one shall have a
t acre of the public land who will NJ
found q home upon it and live on
d for five years, as required by the oris
ipo1 npnpStpad act
l There is no limit. Mr.. Maxwell sal
6 to the immense area that can be reat
ily absorbed into one great Gait
IS ranch If title to the land can be Of
tanned without requiring the entryma
q to live upon it. If the desert lar
4 act were so amended as to require
= five years residence, it would
y equivalent to it's repeal because !
: settler would ever take up land und
it and pay $1.25 an acre for the lar
- which he could get for nothing und'
!. the homestead act by merely hvi1
y on it for five years.
x. Mr.. Maxwell said further that I'll
IL immense number of working men no
p being thrown out of employing
IL should intensity the demand for
n land policy which would reserve tt
!. remaining agricultural public lam
;. for bona fide settlers and provide f
!. their irrigation by government worl
Y lust as fast as the settlers would tai
Z the land in not more than 100 &C