The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-09-17
SHOULD BE REPEALED

wastefulness IN the disposal Of public
lands should cease. and that the portion
stu remaining should be economical Tor
the use of actual settlers only. Accord
ing TO the report of the commissioner OF
the general land office for 1902. the op-
Grafton of the timber and stone act 10
that date had entailed loss 10 the Unit
ed states OF more than SllIOO0O0O. ana
yet the commissioner states that the
principal injury consists in the loss OF
control OF millions Of acres of timber
lands to which future generations OF
American citizens must look, not only
LOT their supply or timber ard timber
procuets, but Tor protection 20 the sup
ply OF water upon which VIII depend the
fertility OF most OF the agricultural lands
or the west. If conditions extending
( back many years were such as TO cause
nation should fan into the hands of
wealthy individuals and large companies
instead or hcmeseekers, how much great
er reason have we TO be alarmed today
at the rdpidity with which these lands
are being appropriated in the interest of
people who will not make homes upon
them.
Should Be Satisfied.
'The land policy of the nation is moth
ing short of downright injustice to mil
lions of people of the United States who
are seeking for homes upon the land
Some one viii doubtless say there would
be no cause for complaint of fraud if the
provisions of these acts were properly
enforced, and their constant cry is en-
! would say these land laws never have
been enforced except sn isolated cases
and believe they never VIII be enforced
so long as wealthy men and influential
politicians are engaged in acquiring gov
eminent lands. But il is urged. If these
land acts are repealed. thus leaving upon
our statute books only the homestead
act deprived of the Communication clause,
thus cutting off the receipts of money
from sales OF land, the national work Of
retaining the trTigable lands of the arid
states cannot be continued If, in order
to reclaim our dry lands. il is necessary
10 maintain upon our statute books acts
that Will practically dedicate the remain
ing public lands TO a few capitalists and
spectators instead OF actual settlers. it
would be far better that this beneficent
uauoEal irrigation work should cease at
once and forever. but this danger appre-
hended from the repeal of these acts has
no foundation to rest upon. for, In ac-
CordanCe with the provisions of the irri-
ganon bill as fast as our public lands
are reclaimed by the nation they are to
be sold to actual settlers at a price that
VIII fully reimburse the government for
It's expenditures, and the fund that will
be created-now amounting to $4,000 OOG
or $4,000. 000-wil be used over and over
again IN carrying out the national irri-
cation plans.
1T is evident also that if the desert
land act, the Communication provisions OF
the homestead act and the timber and
stone act should be repealed at the next
session Of congress, the lands that will
be taken up before the repeal bill can,
become a law Will greatly increase the
already large fund set aside for irriga-
ton work 1t is claimed also that we
have a very small area of land upon
which settlers can maintain themselves
by agricultural pursuits, and consequent
ly the arguments that have from time
10 time during the last twenty years
been so ably advanced favoring the re
peal OF these land acts do not apply 20
the public domain today This cOnten-
ton. in my opinion. cannot be success
fully maintained. for the extent of far
west land that with or without irriga-
ton may be converted into homes for the
people is found to be much greater than
it was supposed to be ten years ago. and
is doubtless far greater than any Of us
can appreciate today. No man, however
broad his views may be of the agriCul-
tural possibilities of the arid and semi
arid domain, can comprehend the wealth
Of soil and the capacity of the farm
lands that lie between the Mississippi
river and the Pacific ocean for the ma e.
tenanCe Of dense population. Nor is
it in the power Of man today to estimate
the value to the whole nation that will
come from the reclamation and settle
ment of the irrigable agricultural lands,
as well as the lands that can be Guilt
waited without irrigation, west of the Mis-
sisslppl river. Preserve for settlers all
our lands that now appear uninhabitable,
subject only to a true homestead law.
and this enlightened and progressive ma
ton without in any way depicting the
treasury. will prepare them for homes
for millions of American citizens tt is
a wise and safe policy to let the title to
our public farm lands and desert lands
remain in the control of the nation. sub
lect alone to entries under the home
stead act until the great national irriga-
ton work shall be completed, and let
farmers and hOmaseekers determine
what lands they can live upon and sup
port their families The man seeking a
home upon the land is far better qualified
to decide as 10 the habitable CharcctNr
Of our public lands than the theoretical
man. or the stOc<man. or the man who
lives in the city and has never had ex-
perience in cultivating the soil. The fact
that men living upon and owning the
land constitute the solid foundation upon
which the strength and stability of our
country must ever rest should inspire us
TO employ our greatest efforts to pre-
serve and prepare the public domain for
people who viii make homes upon it.