, 1903-01-28

which is prohibited by Ia" uhtil the
claimant has fully earned the title. me
result is that oftentim"S. after fourteen
months bona tid" residence and I'm
proVement or cultivation. the claimant
dnds that he can best serve the inter
ests OF himself n family by making
the necessary payment OF Sl.25 an acre
5000 for 100 aCrcs-thus emitting
himself to a patent and enabling him
to borrow a sufficient sum to either
properly and permanently house him
self and family. or by acquiring neces-
sary water rights and making suitable
bitches to reduc" the land to cultiva-
ton.
TO repeal the Communication provis-
ion would. of course, prevent its abuse
in the matter of timber lands. but at
the same time would a from the
true homesteader the substantial adj
vantage which it often affords in the
way of enabling him to get the means
to make his home at once suitable and
permanent. Wherever two methods OF
correcting the abuse of a law are open.
one of which corrects the abuse with
out doing more and the other of which
in correcting the abuse destroys sub
stantial advantages which the law
wisely confers, resort to the latter
method can hardly be justified
The timber and stone act not hav-
ing fulfilled the expectations of those
who framed it and favored its adop-
ton, because of the fact that it's re-
strictive features have been entirely
eliminated by supreme court decisions.
the senator takes the ground that it
should be repealed in toto. and the fol
lowing Legislation substituted:
"Ffrst-The free use. under appro'
pirate regulations. of a limited supply
of timber for the bona fide settler and
miner.
Secondly selling at its real value
sufficient timber to satisfy the imme,
date demands of and man.
~ufacturing in the locality, reserving
the land, however, SO that it may be.
come retimbered. or may be disposed
OF under the homestead or other laws.
"Third-By repeating all existing
Legislation relating to timber lands and
the use Of the timber growing thereon
For the benefit of readers of The Re
publican not familiar with the timber
and stone act, it may be stated that
this act provides for the sale to individ-
uals OF 16O acres of timber or stone
land at the stated price of $3.50 per
acre, regardless of location or value.
In speaking of the desert law the
senator says:
Under this last act. or amended act,
more arid land has been reclaimed,
more barren wastes have been on
verified into growing fields of grain and
hay, and more unproductive land has
been made permanently productive
than under any other law applicable
to the western country. Whoever COM
plies with this law-and the proofs re-
CURED are such that no one can ac-
quire title without full compliance
unquestionably earns the right to re-
ceive the government title. No other
law, properly administered, reduces to
SO much of a minimum the opportuni-
ties for abuse and pr~evarication. Ev-
erywhere over the extreme western
country the arid wastes are spotted by
beautiful fields of growing grain and
alfalfa, which testify beyond the pos
sibilities of contradiction to the splen-
did and material results legitimately
accomplished under this law. Some
slight remaining abuses could possibly
be avoided by further legislation, but
nothing to justify a repeal"
The range problem and the illegal
fencing of the public domain are dis
cussed in Senator Warren's usual clear
.ovs ".oro .o,ut;o, ~ .ho -.
-,