Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-10-20

able streams of water. So long as the
rights of the State are not i~nfringedl
the general government should be-
given a free hand.
Agitation of the irrigation Ques-
ton by the people of the west will
assist us here in impressing upon Con-
gress and the administration officers
of the Government the necessity of
a vigorous prosecution of irrigation
work. Before leaving Washington last
spring | arranged to have a corps of
men from the Geological Survey sen
into Bismarck to make the preliminary
examinations reqired under the law.
| am advised that these men went
over the ground very thoroughly and
in due time will make their report to
the Secretary of the Interior. who.
during the coming winter. will no
doubt do his part toward arranging for
active work in the field mex summer
You may rest assured that the Secre-
tary will not be allowed to overlook
the interests of North Dakota in irri-
cation matters, although | am sure he
is not inclined to do so.
In this respect we have much to
contend with here that the public does
not at once thoroughly understand.
For instance. last winter a vigorous
effort was made to Congress TO re
peal certain land laws. the existence
of which is absolutely essential to the
success of national irrigation. Under
the irrigation law all receipts from the
sales of public lands go into the re-
clamation fund and are TO be expended
for irrigation works. The repeal of
our revenue producing law, viz. the
desert land law, the timber and stone
act and the committed homestead law
would put a sudden and certain end
10 national irrigation. The charge is
petrated under these laws and that
therefore they should be repealed.
The %repealers. however, appear to ig-
more the vast benefits that the coun
try is deriving-benefts which great
ly outweigh the real frauds actually
perpetrated.
The desert land law can be amended
so as to prohibit the assignment by
an entryman of his desert right prior
to making final proof. This would
practically compel him to reside on the
land for three years. and that time
he must, in addition to paying the gov
eminent 1928 per acre in cash, ex-
pend $500 per acre in improvements.
With the amendment to the law as
suggested the land entryman would
be a three year homesteader.
The timber and stone act should be
amended SO as to require the payment
of the full value Of the timber. after
official appraisal and due notice of sale
and the purchases should be limited
in area to both individuals and cor
p%orations.
With these amendments enacted in
TO law the receipts from land disposed
of under these acts would be largely
increased and the reclamation fund
would grow accordingly. At the same
time the opportunity for fraud in des-
ert and timber entries would be great
ly diminished. 1t is my purpose to
introduce a bill embracing these
amendments at the opening of the
coming session.
] think the people Of the west
would oppose any attempt to repeal
the committed homestead law. because
they know from personal observation
that it has been and will continue to
be a great boon to the homesteader
who cannot afford to devote a year and
a half to the opening of a new farm
without any income during that time.
The cry OF fraud as respects the com
muter is very unjust, as is conclusive
ly shown by the official records in the
General Land Office. Only one home
steader in five commutes his entry to
cash. Out of So. 000, 600 acres taken
as homesteads during the past 81
years less than Is, 200 900 acres have
been committed to cash. and in the
I past ten years, of the committed en-
tries attacked on the ground of fraudu-
lent speculative intent, less than one
tenth of one per cent of the whole
number of such entries were Cancelled.
These facts are sufficient to sustain
the integrity of the law. Besides, it
is a revenue producer and its repeal
would be a blow to the reclamation
fund.
The repeal of these laws would give
a stimulus to settlement in the Cana
dian Northwest. greatly enhance the