Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-01-22
FAVORS The LEASING BILL
Secretary Hitchcock Makes Report on the
Dietrich Measure.
10 FEDERAL JUDGES FOR NEBRASKA
W. ideII Not So Certain He VIII Secure
the ChaIrmnnship of the Irri-
CATION Committee Vice
Tongue, Deceased.
CFrom a STAFF Correspondent


gram )-Secretary Hitchcock today trans
mitted to the senate committee on public
lands a favorable report on Senator Diet
richs bin at authorizing the leasing OF
grazing lands in the state of Nebraska.
| While the report was written by Assist
ant Commissioner Richards the secretary,
as is customary, transmitted the bill to
the committee with a favorable Endorsement
thereon. In his report Mr.. Richards states
that the bill makes preference in favor
! of actual and bona hde homestead settlers
and owners OF private lands to lease ad-
} joining public lands which are OF the char
acter provided in the act as being in their
natural condition subject only for live stock
| grazing purposes and not capable OF irri-
/ CATION.
! The assistant commissioner then goes on
| to recite the general terms of the bill
and as to the disposition Of the net pro-
| ceeds accruing from the leases he says:
| II think the bill makes a wise disposition
! of the net proceeds accruing from leases.
| The people Of the public land states have
! long considered 1t to be a hardship that
no revenue should be directly derived from
! the large area OF public lands lying within
their boundaries, for the control and pro-
lection Of which 1t is necessary for them
to furnish all the machinery of government.
Under this bill one-fourth of the net re-
! ceipts will go to the county and one-fourth
to the state, while the remaining one-half
goes into the fund for the reclamation OF
arid land, which promises so much for the
development Of the arid and semi-arid re-
gions."
Touches on Fencing.
Upon the subject of fencing, of which so
much has been said and written during the
following to say in his report on the leas-
ing bill: Notwithstanding It is prohibited
by law, 1t is a fact that considerable areas
of land in several of the public land states
and territories have been inclosed with
fences and are used for grazing purposes
by private parties, associations OF individ-
uals and In some instances by communities.
In some instances the summary removal Of
these fences would work a hardship dis
proportionate to the benefits which the pub
lie would derive from such removal. Vari-
ous unsuccessful efforts to obtain legisla-
tion upon this matter have. been made and
others are now contemplated, but owing to
the near approach OF the end Of the session
of congress it is probable that unless this
bill become law there will be no legisla-
tion of this character during this sessKn,
in which event this Office will have no dis
erection in enforcing the act OF February 25
1885,"
In closing his report the ssgistant COM
missioner says: 1T will be observed that
this act applies only 10 the state OF Ne
braska. in which state there is a large area
of public lands which are only valuable
for grazing purposes, where It is thought
that an experiment Of this character can
be tried with perhaps less danger Of in
jury to puolic interest than in any other
ia
II this experiment proves successful, 1t
will furnish a basis for the enactment Of
laws of more general application, for the
: final settlement OF the vexed question OF
. the proper disposition to be made OF the
public grazing lands
Otherwise Fences Come Down.
Senator Dietrich. in speaking of the re-
port said that it was as favorable as the
most exacting homesteader could wish !;
that 1t discussed the question most clearly
and that # now devolved upon the Iegis-
, lature of Nebraska to say whether the
> delegation in congress from that state
should move for the early consideration
u and passage Of the measure. He said that
he had received most emphatic statements
from Secretary Hitchcock that fences on
the public domain in Nebraska would be
pulled down should congress fail at this
y session TO take action upon this much
d vexed question. He stated he had no opin-
- ion to give out until after the legislature
a had acted.
Two Judges for Nebraska.
S There is every reason for believing that
= the bill dividing Nebraska into two judi
cial districts will become a law before tn,
> close of the present congress. II is under
o stood that the president is In favor of the
e measure, as it would solve by its own mo-
70 tion most intricate problem which con.
: fronts the president, namely, the choice O.
e United States district attorney. 1t II
still further understood that the Nebrask,
delegation is unit for the measure. Mr.
Burkett, who has been most active in be-
half of the division of the state into nortl
N and south judicial districts, told a Bee rep,
resentative today that he would have
hearing before the full committee on judi
ciary of the house next Friday. He stated
that the subcommittee Of judiciary had hat
n the bill under consideration and had agreed
d 10 favorable report upon the same thii
10 committee being composed OF julius Kahn
lie California; Henry W. Palmer, Pennsyl
vania, and r. l.. Henry, Texas. This com
10 mittee will report Mr. Burkett's bill to tn,
'e full committee on Friday, when the rep
? resentative from the First Nebraska dis
L ! trict Will ask that the senate measure
ot which is Identical with Mr.. Burkett's bill
be substituted for the bill which he intro
4 duced in the present congress.
h Should the senate bill be favorably re
L. ported upon, as now seems most likely,
u will have consideration under a call OF com
mttees, and as the Nebraska delegation
stands as unit behind il, there is ever
reason to believe that Senators Dietric
ts and Millard will shortly have additiona
as patronage thrust upon them.
he Congressman Burkett today, after con
an siderable labor. was informed by the Post
- Office department that his application [
an increase the amount allowed for horse fee
ho' for nine mounted carriers in Lincoln ha
been granted. Each carrier will receiv
S275 a year for horse feed. thus eQualizin
the amount allowed Omaha carriers.
es MOndeH Not So Sure.
al Representative Mondell, who had hopes
II, succeed to the chairmanship OF the CON
ea mittee on irrigation, made vacant by th
'm death OF Representative Tongue, does nc
on feel sure Of the place as ne did imms
d,ately after the vacancy occurred. NJ
Reeder OF Kansas ranks Mr.. Mondell on n
committee. II Was thought, however. thI