New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-19
PUBLIC LAND LAWS.
CHANGES ARE NEEDED.
Hoo Senator Hansbrough Proposes
to DO A7cay zcith Erist'ng ETiis'
lrRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU


in the public land laws. the measure ",--,
H.. 70 M, IN absolute accord. with the reoo"i
,,endatfons made by the President I" III"
Congress Senator Quarles. OF Wisconsin NJ
duced a bill last winter proVidlhB i'i - -.
lutte repeal Of the Desert Lana Jaw W. -,
and stone act and the Commutsu
Ia,r Nv a majority of one that Dill was
favorably. Senators Bard and Neisoh Joi'''-7
'.,.,, ,to ner,ocrats in favor OF repeal Senators
yIansbrough Clark, OF Wyomih8'
Ua.r,s Gamble and Burton agreed upon d M
- ranort and il is upon this report that the
rYa,shroneb btI will be based. ~ Will proVioe
o. .ho er,.rsu,ent Of the Desert Land act so
a ~ nrohfhit the assignment OF a desert rls"I
nr,or 70 the making of final proof me ehOIS
man must now pay the government anu eNp
I'm improvements during the three years
must Lapse prior to the making OF nnat piOO
total of 81 % an acre, amounting to Sl''V" iOi
a desert claim and making the land more ''i1
BILE for agricultural than for grazing purpo
The frauds which for long series OF YEA"
have been freely charged grow out OF assign
ments by entryrnen to corporations seehihs 81
acouirement of large tracts Of land, ostensloiy
O. ra,oe nurnoses Thus a small number OF
mon have been enabled to control the situa-
,iop and contests have been few Seha'Ot
Hansbrough believes however, that by Changing
the law so as TO prevent a conveyance Oh Iis"'
under three years from date OF entry 'he eiiH
men Will practically be compelled 10 reslue %
the land. or sufficiently near py 10 hiaAs MS
,mnrovements and that failure 20 comply WIN
the law will invite contest. he nous 'na''
u,h,a under present conditions where the big
cattIemen have secured control OF large arcs
there are no settlers or intending settlers to
bring contests If the original entryman Is COM
PEELED to give the land his personal attention for
three wears he will be obliged to make his home
there which means settlement and cultivation.
with the same results are now obtained IN
der the original fve-year Homestead law
HOW LUMBER KINGS PROFIT
Under the Timber and stone act, according 70
Senator Hansbrough. the entryman in TOO many
instances does not even rec the land. RE offers
his filing at the local land office. pays 81 80 an
acre for one hundred and sixty acres, and may
ut once assign mis- right This enables the lunl-
Der king to secure ownership 10 valuable timber
lands at minimum OF cost. The new bill VIII pro-
vide for examination and estimate Of the char
acter and value Of the timber by federal agents.
and after due notice the stumpage will be Of
fered for sale the highest bidder. The Dill VIII
also fix price below which the timber shall
not be sold.
The Senator holds that absolute repeal OF
the law would put a sudden check to the lUTn-
bering industry OF the West. and advance the
price of lumber Moreover, he claims that al
most from the very beginning or the government
it has been found 10 be impossible 10 establish
a policy or system under which the great
pineries could be disposed of in small holdings.
He cites the results Of efforts in this direction
In Michigan wisconsin and Minnesota, and says
the only equitable method he can conceive Of. II
numbering is to go on and keep pace with other
industries is TO compel those who acquire gov
eminent timber to pay full value for IT. He be
lieves IL would be well to provide. however. that
not more than three hundred and twenty acres
should be sold 20 any single individual or cor
poration-
a VI
The Senator maintains that the COMMITTED
Homestead law has been great boon TO the
Western settler. and should not be repealed. He
says the cry Of "F'raud"'-so easily uttered, but
so seldom proyed-has greatly prejudced the
public mind especially in the East. and presents
some interesting figures on this subject. During
twenty-one years from 1881 TO 1902 inclusive.
the government has disposed of 100000 acres
OF land. Only II per cent OF this vast area has
been disposed OF under all the laws which the
Quarles bill proposes to repeal. In round num-
bers the figures are as follows: Timber and
stone land, 100000 acres; final desert entries
8 42S 900 acres: committed hOrnesteads IA 6ST-
900 acres: fve-year original final hornesteads
IO333OOO acres: State selections for educational
and public purposes. 11.364OOo acres; railroad
grants patented. J2,2S0.Oo0 acres; wagon road
grants. 112201o acres: swamp lands 9747.OO0
acres.
FEW HOMESTEAD COMMUTERS.
These figures" says the Senator are worthy
OF close scrutiny. Alarmists especially should
study them. Allowing leo acres for each person.
the number OF homestead commuters in the
United States during twenty-one years is less
than S%.Ocp 'cOmmuter Is who elects
to pay the government 500 In cash at the end
OF fourteen months residence and cultivation
securing full title thereby. During the same
period OF twenty-one years the number Of orig
inal hOmesteaders-thOse who could afford to
reside five years upon the land without borrow
ing money upon twas about 44OOOD Thus II
Will be seen that only one homesteader out OF
five has acquired title under the Communication
law
"Homesteaders are invariably persons OF small
means. no means at ALL he continues With
crop failures sickness and the general expeDsa
incident opening a farm. frequently a
days drive from points OF supply IL is surprising
that small a number-one in hve-hnd them
selves obliged to take title to the land at the
end Of fourteen months. in order that they NAV
borrow "A few dollars with which to provide the
actual necessares Of life for their families and
pay the local merchant for past accommodations
1t should be remembered that crop is not pro-
duced the first year. Under the law the settler
who goes upon virgin land must build a habi-
table house. He then breaks a portion OF the
land This is done usually in April and Nav
Early in the fall. when the sod has become de-
composed, he ploughs the land again. The fol-
lowing spring he hsrrows and plants his seed IL
is late in the fall of the secOnd year before he
has any grain 20 sell. The homesteader thus
finds himself without a cent of income during a
period OF eighteen months. during which time he
Is under constant expense for living supplies for
MS family and his stock. and for agricultural
implements. This necessitates borrowing money
without security or running into debt with the