The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-11-28
BATTLE IS BETWEEN
HUMAN NEED AND CREED
LAND OF EVERY AMERICAN
=. cHlLD*is IN DANGER.
Much Opposition to the Desert Land
Aet-is in tho interest Of speeuIa-
tors-Reai Settlers Stand but a
Poor 9how-small Farms Should
b Encouraged in the Interest Of
Public Welfare,

Public Welfare.
Washington, ID. c., Nov. 26.-Special
Correspondence Labor World from
William e. Smyth.-There will be a
great battle in this Congress over the
repeal OF the land laws. It is a ques-
ton Of direct personal interest to every
American citizen, and every American
citizen should make it his business to
understand the merits Of it.
Under the Desert Land Law, an in
dividual can take of $40 acres without
living upon it day or an hour. A
man and his wife can take up $40
acres, equal to square mile, Of the
most fertile soil in the world in this
way.
The first question is, do the Ameri-
can people want to give their land to
anybody save an actual resident who
locates for the purpose of making a
home and realizing an independent liv-
ing? It is good public policy to en-
courage the acquisition of; land by en-
terprising SPECTATORS who expect to
sell it at large profit to the real set
tier, or to rent 1t to a tenant farmer,
or to consolidate it with other cheaply-
acquired holdings into a large estate?
These are questions which are being
asked of Congressmen and Senators at
Washington. They are questions which
affect the people of the East as we'll as
those living where the public lands
are located.
Now, why does this question come
home to every fireside in this country?
Simply because this land now belongs
to all the people. It is the heritage Of
every American child. It is such in
no merely sentimental sense, but In the
most downright practical way. It re-
presents his hope Of getting a chance
to work for himself on his own land,
of making a competency for old age,
and ct leaving productive property for
his children.
This hope is defeated by existing
laws under which the most valuable
agricultural lands are being absorbed
at an unprecedented rate for specula-
ton and monopoly. And there is no
way OF preventing it 50 long as these
laws remain upon the statute books.
They were not intended to foster real
home-making, except by most un-
certain and indirect process, and in
their actual application they do not
usually produce this result.
This is the truth about the Desert
Land Law, as it is known to everybody
who has seen it in operation. If it
was necessary once, as means Of
tempting capital to speculate in the
development of new countries, it is no
longer necessary because Uncle Sam
himself has taken his coat and gone
to digging bitches In order. to- assist the
masses OF the people In es;t tfngp homes
on his big estate. g !. .:> s: s.:
What Is proposed as substitute for
the present law? An amendment to
the Homestead Law, by which settler
| may initiate his filing before the water
is on the land, and obtain title only
| when he has lived upon and cultivated
the land in good faith for Ave years.
This plan will work no hardship what
ever upon the actual settler, but it will
shut the door on the, speculator and
| render it extremely DIFFICULT for syndi-
Gates to consolidate many small hold
| ings into few large ones.
Here is another question which some
of the Western legislators wifi have TO
answer: Why should anybody be per-
mitted to acquire 800 acres of irrigated
land? Why should a single family be
permitted to take GAO acres through the
filing of husband and wife? Is that
amount OF irrigated land essential for
| prosperous home?
In Utah, according to the census fig
! ures, the average farm unit is q acres.
And Utah Is in the temperate zone.
with much shorter growing season
! than many other parts of the arid
| region. The utmost limit which any
| single family should be permitted to
acquire is quarter-section, or $50 acres
OF irrigated land. There are many
place where limitation Of 80 acres. or
even Of 40 acres would be far more
| reasonable
| Is it good public policy to give a sim
| gle family an amount Of irrigated land
which would comfortably support from,
eight to sixteen families? That is
what we are doing when the law is
strictly complied with, while there are
Instances where single families have
acquired the ownership of lands which
would support ten thousand people,
This has been done, of course, through
the shameless abuse Of the law
| The question is before the country,
awaiting the decision of the PEOPLES
representatives in Congress- 1t is a
| live issue today, but it is one which
time will remove from the field of dis
cussion. That is to say, all the best
ands will be gone unless action is taken
without much more delay. Thew are
bling taken now at the rate of about
1000 acres a day.
The battle is between human heed
md human greed. Every man who
wants his country to be as wise as the
most ordinary business man, and every
nan who wants his share of the public
land for himself or his children. shon1C
stand by the president Of the United
states in his demand for the Immediate
reform of this crying evil.
FIGHT OVER JURISDICTION
CIGAR MAKERS AT RRAiNERD
Brainerd, Mimi, Nov. 3.-Specia, r.