Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-11-02
Action Of Industrial Convention
in Opposition to Repeal Of
Land Laws
RIGHT LAND LAW
Many Excellent Features Of the
National Irrigation Act. Spe-
cious Reasoning TherefrOm
From the National Irrigation associa.

From the National Irrigation associa.
tion. ,s,s;HsiR
WASHINGTON. b. G.. Nov. 2.-f6e
recent action Of the Wyoming indus
trial convention at Sheridan, Wyom-
Ing. In declaring its inHexible opposi-
tion to the repeal OF the desert land
act, the communication clause Of the
homestead act and the timber and
stone act Is indicative Of the attitude
which may be expected of certain
western interests on any land legis-
lation hostile to the speculator ami
the live stock baron
In the hot debates at the Ogden
irrigation congress, few weeks prev
ious, the issue was on the merits Of
these lands laws and the fierce de-
mand for their repail which has arisen
in various parts Of the United States.
Several western congressman who
participated opposed the repeal Of the
laws, but at the same time referred
with pride, to the part they had taken
IN assisting in the passage Of the ma
tional irrigation act. Not one of these
gentlemen seemed to realize the in
consistency involved in opposing the
repeal OF the desert land law, in one
breath, and in the next breath gloat-
ing over the triumph of national irri-
cation. What are the facts?
The desert land laws permits sin
gle individual to acquire 800 acre Of
irrigable land. With the assistance
OF his good wife, the same individual
may take mp 640 acres And be need
not live upon ne land at all. He can
make some little improvement and
swear that he has made some sort of
arrangement to irrigate it, when he
gets title by paying s1.25 an acre.
Under such provisions, it is indeed
easy for spectators to obtain land
to sell out later to real homeseekers
at big profit or to consolidate into
large holdings.
This is the law which the congress
men referred to insist upon keeping
upon the statute books.
A Right Land Law.
Now, what is done with the lands
when the national irrigation act is in
operation? First, they are absolutely
withdrawn from entry while the feas-
ibility Of the project is under consid
GRAFTON. u
Next, the secretary of the interior
is empowered to fix the amount OF
land which q single Individual may
acquire. but is forbidden to fix larg-
er unit than 100 acres, or q smaller
unit than forty acres, in any in
stance. .sSlan
Finally. the settler is compelled to
live upon and cultivate the land
which he claims for his home, and he
must live there not for five years, but
ten years, which Is the period fixed
for the repayment Of the governments
expenditure.
In other words, every claim made
by the advocates Of the repeal OF ex-
listing land laws Is absolutely con
ceded In the terms OF the national IT.
rigation act. SO far as the areas to
be covered by the new policy are con.
cerned, the desert land law and the
Communication clause Of the homestead
law stand repealed And the nation
has thereby declared Its uncompromis-
ing attitude on the issue debated at
Ogden.
Now, then, what becomes OF the
consistency OF the aforesaid congress
men? Are they not standing on both |
sides Of the question at the same |
time? BY voting for the national ir-
rigation act, they declared that no
citizen ought to have more than 160 |
acres Of irrigable land from the pub
lie domain, and in some instances he
ought not TO have more than forty
acres. Then how can they consistent.
~ demand that citizens shall continue
10 take s2O acres under the desert
land law?
BY voting for national irrigation,
they declared that a settler must ac-
tuaIly live upon his land ten years be-
fore getting title to e. Then how