The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1903-08-06

slvely 20 the feeding of new home mar
kets to be created within the arid region
ltsell and the satisfaction of unlimited
demands in the orient and III the frozen
north
Congress has decreed that the great
policy of national irrigation shall be en-
tered upon without delay Already the
engineers and surveyors are doing their
work, and five great projects have been
reported favorably to the interior de-
partment Only about $1,000, 600 are
required to carry all five to completion,
and the money is i'll the treasury await
ing the call. But upon the threshold of
the greatest constructive policy to which
this nation ever set its hand a new and
appalling obstacle is encountered.
Almost every acre of these lands
which the nation is about to prepare
for the swarming of a building
population may, under existing laws, be
stolen and used as the basis of profit
able speculation. And those who de-
sire to secure these lands for speculative
purposes are strong enough to the hands
of congress until the deed shall have
been done. This, too, in spite of the
fact that the president of the United
States has urged the repeal of these in
iquitious land laws as something which
is vital to the success of the national If
rigation policy.
FEW OR MANY.
Shall the nation land, then, and the
nations money, be used to enrich Il
comparatively few greedy individuals
or shall they be used to furnish security
and happiness for millions of men, wom-
en- and children:
This is the question which must be
answered when congress meets again
The answer depends absolutely upon
the will Of the people as it shall be made
known to their representatives at Wash
ington No power on earth, except the
power of an aroused and indignant pub-
lie opinion can save the arid region
from falling prey to the spectators who
are alive to their opportunity while the
people are asleep.
In his last message, the president re-
commended the repeal of the desert
land law Of the communication clause of
the homestead law, and of the timber
and stone act These are the provis-
ions OF existing statutes under which
absolutely the most valuable property
now owned by the American people is
being Systematically absorbed into pri
vate ownership by those who cannot
use it, but wLD propose to sell at enor-
nous profit to real homeseekers when
the nation shall have multiplied its
value an hundredfold by means of irri-
CATION
The nation has land for every man
who will make his home upon it in good
faith who viii break the sod, plant
crops, build house and settle down to
support his family from the soil But
the nation has no land at least, it
ought to have none-for the man who
merely seeks to forestall the actual set
tier and sell out to him at profit, or
become landlord collecting income
from his tenants
ur1Ils AnNrtrN1JTRER
Under present land laws millions OF
acres are being taken by those who
have no thought of breaking the SOIL
planting crops, or building homes
They are mere adventures and specu-
lators.
The deseret land law gives them a
chance to obtain for a song, without
residence and without cultivation, three
hundred and twenty acres of the richest
soil ON earth enough for sixteen fam
lies. The Communication clause of the
homestead laws give them chance to