The Minneapolis journal., 1903-02-09
THE QUARLEs BILL
The Senate Committee on Public
Lands Will Take It Up
Tomorrow.

Some Of the Changes Proposed in the
Governments Long Estab-
lished Land Policy.
From The Journal Bureat, Room 45, Post Build.
ing, Washington.
senate committee on public lands will take
UP the Quarles bill, providing for the re-
peal of the desert land act, the timber and
stone act and the communication clause of
the homestead act, In accordance with
the recommendations contained in the an
nual report of the secretary Of the inte-
rior and in the message of the president
to congress- 1t is: hardly possible that
any legislation on this important subject
will be had at this session of congress,
now drawing to a close, but the investiga-
tions put now under way will help put the
question in such position as to make ac-
tion easy next winter, should action then
be deemed necessary.
So far as it is possible to know at this
time, the senate committee on public
lands, Senator Hansbrough of North Da-
kota, chairman, is pretty evenly divided
regarding the merits of the questions in
volved in the Quarles bill. That gigantic
1TduQS nave Deen peTp6LrdLe0 under exist
ing laws by grasping individuals and cor
porations is only too well known. 1t is
also known that the, Quarles bill, if enact
ed, would stop them; but it might also
work much harm to the public land states
by retarding their development and settle
ment, and the members of the public lands
committee are therefore studying the case
with much interest. It is evident that
they are anxious to- do the fair thing! to
all sides. The majority Of the members
Of the committee come from the states
which would be affected by the proposed
legislation, and for that reason are thor
oughly familiar with the situation, and in
position to deal with it intelligently.
A Modified Bill Likely.
| If it were in order to make a guess as
| to what will be done, it might be said
| that the Quarles bill, in its present form,
will not pass. In some modified form,
| however, it may pass at the next session,
Conservative sentiment in the committee
inclines, to repeal of; the desert land act,
Eor to its radical modification; to the repeal
of the timber feature of the timber and
stone act or to its amendment so that the
I.price to be paid for pine timber must be
ascertained by appraisement; and to the
| modification of the cornnlutat ton clause of
| the homestead law so as to have it apply
only to areas in certain specified localities.
| If there is legislation next winter, it will
probably be along these lines.
The president believes that the present
laws are being used in the interest of pri-
vate greed and against the true interests
of the people, in which belief he is encour-
aged by the secretary of the interior and
the commissioner Of the general land Of
| flee. Having spent a number, of years in
the public land country, the president is
quick to see the points made against the
law and the need of changes. He will un-
doubtedly renew his recommendations to-
congress at the next session.
MEANWHILE. Senator Hansbrough has
written a letter to- the secretary of the
interior asking fer full information re-
garding the character and extent of the
frauds complained of, and has received a
reply which goes into the question at con-
! siderable length This reply has been
printed, and will form the basis, for to-
morrow's discussion. of the matter In the
publlc lands committee ii .. .14..thT. -.
Il @s25.:o 5:: Moita1a Sufferer. as:55: 4: ~,
4 Montana has probably been the greatest
lsutferer4 from abuses of the desert land
act.s The rich cattle owners Of that state
have used the act as a means to possess
| themselves Of large bodies of grazing
lands, and the frauds in as many as half
a dozen Montana counties are said to have
been extensive and to have covered a
I period of more than dozen years
Montana has also suffered to some ex-
tent from abuses Of the communicated home
lstead law. North, Dakota on the other
! hand however, has not suffered from it;
but under its operation has been made
richer. and more populous. Indeed, sc
lbenehcently has this particularly law op-
Grated in the state, as well as in South
Dakota, that it's repeal or radical modfi
cation would be resisted by practically
all of the people. Land in North Dakota
is SO valuable that the cattle barons dc
not care to try to control it. A settler
on land there becomes a permanent resi-
dent in most cases, and soon develops into
a well-to-do citizen. Farther west, where
land is cheaper and settlers more scarce
this is not the case, and it is to such
localities that the Quarles bill is intended
primarily to apply. But the question is
Ehow to correct the abuses in states like
Montana, Wyoming and Idaho without do
ing harm to states like North and South
I Dakota. -caaeHczss ~ easz4szz 2ts zsE-s
The land! frauds in Wyoming are WinkeC
at by the state authorities; indeed, they
are almost openly encouraged. Wyoming
is essentially a grazing state and is un
, der the complete control Of the grazing
l industry, which shapes its policies, nom
l mates its officers and dictates to it's legis
, lature. Prevailing sentiment in that stats
: is strongly against a large population, ant
will remain so as long as the cattle baron
are in the saddle. The Quarles bill, fo
f this reason IS not favored Dy the "yO
ming members Of the two houses of con
gress. Senator Warren of that state il
a member of the senate public lands com
|rnittee, and may be depended upon to pre-
vent a favorable report, If within his powe
to do So.
The Alleged Frauds.
: In writing to Senator Hansbrough re
S garding the repeal of the timber am
stone act, Secretary Hitchcock asks tha
the advisability Of repeal be not deter
q q mined from the number Of entries can
e celed on the charge of being speculativ
9 in character, or on the per cent that sucl
entries bear to the total number of en-
) tries made, but on the proposition tha
e 1.-THE act as it stands, when legitimatel
n observed, affords such facilities for tn
acquisition by individuals and corporation
: of vast bodies of the public timbered land
! that it is the greatest menace on tn
+ statute books to-day against the avowe
Ipolicy of the government to preserve tn
: remaining public lands for homes for actu
al settlers The secretary makes a sim
liar observation, almost in the identica
> language just quoted, in speaking of tn
= proposed repeal Of the desert land ac1
Il He admits that the Communication claus
J, of the homestead law does not presen
= the same serious objections as the othe
e two laws, for the reason that a residenc
I1f f1,c iS rpn q