Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-06-10
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SAVE THE LAND FOR HOME.
BUILDERS.

SAVE THE LAND FOR HOME
BUILDERS.
Guy E.. Mitchell, secretary Of the
national irrigation association, in q
recent letter, deals with phases Of the
public land question which are espe-
cially interesting to the West. He
says:
with the end of the present fiscal
year in sight the land Office officials
estimate that over $4,000, 900 will
have accrued to the benefit of the ma
ton irrigation reclamation fund on
that date, the receipts from the sale
Of public lands being in round num-
bers $1,000, 900 from July 1. 1902 to
June 80, 1908, and the balance having
been already available.
Upon its face this is encouraging
and most satisfactory news for the
west and for those who are interested
In seeing the government develop
great tracts of a desert and through
national irrigation. Much can be
done with fifteen million dollars es-
pecially as the money will all come
back again to the government in an
nual payments from the settlers who
receive the benefits, to be immedi-
ately used over and over again in the
construction of additional irrigation
works.
However, the real situation as in
dictated by these tremendously in
creased receipts from the sales Of
public lands is not so favorable. 1t in
fact shows a condition which is alarm
ing. These government receipts are
derived from the sale of land under
the Timber and Stone Act, the Com
mutation Clause and Homestead Act
n the Desert Land Act, and this
record breaking increase in sales can
mean nothing less than that immense
areas of the public domain are being
rapidly absorbed into private owner
ship. But what class of ownership?
% The very lands which it is proposed
that the government should irrigate
and offer to home-seekers are being
taken up and held for speculative pur-
poses or acquired by large livestock
interests under our loosely construct
ed and poorly administered land laws;
they are not being taken by settlers.
1t has been said oft and again that the
public lands suitable for home-making
have about all been taken up and that
those remaining must be irrigated be-
fore the settler can make a living on
a 100 or even a 800 acre tract. How
ONE it than that such vast areas of
land are being disposed of as is shown
by the reports Of the general land
offce-last year nearly 10000, 900
acres and this year probably 25 5000, 900
acres more?
Speaking for his own state and
town in this connection Senator Paris
Gibson of Great Falls, Montana, who
wrote the report of the senate public
lands committee last winter urging
the repeal of the aforementioned
land laws in accordance with Presi-
dent R%oosevelt's recommendation to
congress said:
The eagerness with which the pub
Tic lands of Montana are being taken
up will be understood when state
that S42 desert land and 768 home.
stead filings will be made in this Office
in n year ending July LIST next. GOV
ering probably 500, 900 acres. AS there
are seven land districts in Montana
undoubtedly the filings for the fsca,
year In this state. will cover at leas,
100000 acres-title passed to two
n a half million acres of our yer,
finest farming land and with no agri
cultural settlers coming into the stat,
a present worthy of note. This doe,
not include the land taken under tn,
timber and stone act and forest re
serve scrip-probably SOC, 900 acre
more. At this rate of land grabbing
for it a be designated as nothin,
else. all the desirable lands of Mon
tana will be taken up in a very shor
time and the great national work O
retaining and settling the farm land
Will be at an end, so far as this stat
Is concerned"
Senator Gibson promises a rvel
night In congress next year to secur
the repeal Of these land laws in a,
cordance with the recommendation {
the president. The latter's attitur