The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1903-10-06
HOMESTEAD A MISNOMER.
Western Opposition and East
ern Apathy are the Stumbl-
ing Blocks in the Road
of Progress.

tion developed at the recent Nation
al Irrigation Congress at Ogden, u
tab, to the proposed repeal of our
abused land laws indicates that if
there is to be any changing Or amen
ding of these laws it Wall be done
only through thorough understand
ing of their iniquitous features and
an awakening of the people to real
ization of the fact that under them
immense quantities of valuable gov.
ernment property are passing into
the hands of private corporations
and spectators for a mere tithe of
their value to the Nation.
resolution was introduced at the
congress by George H. Maxwell, the
executive chairman of the National
Irrigation Association-the same res
olution which was passed by the last
Trans Mississippi Congress, quoting
the Presidents words in denunciation
of these laws and calling upon the
!, United States Congress for their re-
ming and Idaho vigorously opposed
such action and in a speech to the
Irrigation Congress Representative
Mondell of Wyoming strenuously de-
Tended all the land laws, especially
the Desert Land Law, which he stat
ed had been of great benefit to Wyo-
ming On the other hand. congress
men of California and Montana de-
nounced all three laws as having
been the cause of enormous areas of
public land passing fraudulently in
to private ownership, and Senator
Gibson of Montana and Mr.. Maxwell
both quoted land office figures to
show that unless something is done
to prevent the absorption of these
ing desirable and arabic public
lands will in few years have en-
tirely disappeared.
Twenty Million Acres a Year.
AS a matter of fact statement
of the Commissioner of the General
Land Office shows that during the
fiscal year ending June 80. 1903, an
even twenty million acres passed
from the hands Of the government,
while the report of the preceding
year shows practically the same fig
ures-40 100000 acres of public land.
in round numbers passed into pri-
vate ownership within two years.
But those who are only partly in
formed say. well. what of it? There
are still five hundred million acres
left in the arid states and terrific
ries; forty million acres is not such
a great proportion of this vast area.
The truth is that the greater part
of the remaining public domain is
composed of irreclaimable and nom
arabic land-mountains. rugged hills
gulches and gorges which are now
and always will be worthless for ag-
anything but grazing The fory mill
ion acres in question were not taken
from such territory; filings for them
were made upon the comparatively
small remaining areas of plain and
valley lands, capable of irrigation
under government storage OF food
waters and of sustaining great pop
ulation If settled upon in small
tracts OF eighty or one hundred and
sixty acres each, Ian ample amount
to sustain man and his family,
provided he has good water sup
ply.
Frauds Being Peroetrated.
Under the Desert Land Act. which
is supposed to contemplate the re-
clamation Of the land. immense areas
states and territories have been pat
ented which are now lying idle in