The Elk Mountain pilot., 1903-01-20

editorial on the subject OF land grab
bing. Fhe article is well worth
copying, but as it is SO long that
we cannot give the space for it all
we give below anumber of the facts
cited by him. We feel that this is
an important subject. and one that
should receive the careful thought
/ of every citizen. The total area OF
land which passed from the govern
ment to private ownership, during
the fiscal year ending June 30
1902 was nearly 20,000000 acres, OF
about 100000 acres more than in
1901, when it was supposed that
the record for land disposals had
been made. During the last year,
says Mr.. Maxwell the filings by
allegedly bona fde settlers have
far exceeded the number made fif-
teen years ago, at the time of the
great rush of agricultural immi-
grafton from Europe. This fact is
certainly sufficient to arouse sus-
picion as to these filings. The
homestead law was passed in 1862
and for number of years the num-
ber of filings seemed to be about
aS,-o1 - {l,o ,,,,,,,1,a "a -, ~, r,ro,,4c
but in 1901 there were over 6S,000,
or more than were made in any
other year. In 1902 there were 9S,-
S29 making an area of over ii, ,O00,-
0OO acres. The official reports
themselves tell us of the corrupt
uses to which this once beneficial
law is being put. These filings are
generally made by cattlemen and
ranch owners, and for the purpose
of protecting their ranges and keep
ing out home-builders. If these
filings are challenged it often takes
years-seven or eight-to prove
their fraudulent character, and
the dishonest claimant
holds the land and benefits by it.
Without Alaska, there are now
about 525, 100000 acres of public
land. 1t is easy to see that at the
present rate of disposal, this
amount will have been lost to pub
lie ownership in a comparatively
short time. During the past year
100000 acres of timber land was
of at the rate of $3.50 per
acre, when in thousands of cases,
one tree alone would pay, in lum-
Der, the price of the acre of land.
For years the Secretaries of Inter-
ior have been urging the repeal of
the laws under which this land is
being sold-the timber and stone
in vain. The figures are
the same in all states where public
lands are being sold. In many
states and territories where the
most land has been disposed of,
statistics show that the population
has not been incr, ased by even
one family. In Oklahoma there is
an exception to these rules. There,
a special law was enacted, forbid
ding the use of any other land
right than the homestead law.
Five years residence and cultiva-
ton ere necessary for holding the
land. In the last year 29,459 peo-
pie took up 7.401 900 acres of land
in that territory, with the under
standing that they were to- live up
to this agreement. For the past
twenty-five years Congress has been
told by each Secretary of Interior
that those land laws except the one
under which man could secure
title to 100 acres of land by living
upon and improving the same,
should be repealed. Yet nothing
to speak of has been done Mr..
Maxwell closes his article with the
following paragraph, which we feel
speaks the truth THE only way
to stop these wholesale frauds is
for Congress to Immediately repeal
the Desert Land Act, the commu-
tation clause of the Homestead Act,
and the Timber and Stcne Act. If
i i l-.,.-a IL.