The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-04-21
PUBLIC LAND DISTRIBUTION

has been distributing copies OF his
speech. delivered in the Senate March
al, 1904 on the bill to repeal the desert
land act and the communication provision
of the homestead act The speech Is
an able one and presents the matter
clearly, which is a very commendable
/ feature. since the matter IL one in winch
! the entire country and the farming
community in particular--should be
/ heartily interested.
The homestead act was originally de
/ signed TO convert the public lands of
/ TING country into homes for homeless
citizens. 1t provided that every citizen
Of the 'nited States, above the age OF
! 81. could become the owner Of tract Of
lG0 acres Of land by settling upon the
same and cultvating it tor a period Of
five years Every word Of this act was
worry evidently designed to make the dis
/ tribution Of this land widespread and
even, O'prevent monopoly and to po-
vide actual homes for people. But un-
der one pretext or another clauses were
! introduced which entirely nullifed this
obvious intention and which have work
ed rapidly in the interests Of corporations
and have created monopolies on vast
| tracts These clauses were the cOmmu-
tation provision and the desert land act.
The communication provision was EN-
bodied in the homestead act which was
passed in lsil 1t was adopted under
/ the plea that poor settlers might desire
TO mortgage their holdings before the
five years were NJ and this they could
not do unless they had a clear title 1t
provided that settler could mt the expi
ration Of fourteen months obtain full
title to the land by the payment Of 81
per acre.
The desert land act simply made it
possible for single individual to &C
qure 60 acres at time.
It can be easily seen that these pro
| visions have combined to create fraud
in the acquisition Of public lands. Large
corporations have obtained immense
grants 10y causing their employees to en-
ter the lands pay, at the end Of the
fourteen iaonths, the 81 % per acre and,
having acquired the title convey the
land to the corporations.
Regarding the actual results Of these
clauses MIR Gibson says:
should state at this point that condi
tiOna in the far west states which en-
able men 10 maintain large herds and
tlock- throughout the year upon native
grasses NJ II profit have greatly retarded
settlement there The man or company
whose herd of 10, 900 cattle gra2es upon
100 600 or 800, 900 acres of the public do
main naturally views with alarm the
settlement Of farmers upon the land
which he il occupying and at the same
time the farmer or small settler he4itates
tu file his homestead claim upon land 50
occupied. While the Immigrant going
10 Minnesota or the DakltHs 10 make q
home upon the public lands has been cor
daily welcomed by the citizens Of thoHe
states il is very different in the state
farther west where pastoral stock rails
ing Is the leading industry, for there in
flucucrs have been constantly at wOrl
to- prevent the incoming Of settlers Il
is mainly because Of this that citizens %
the United ST ties by the thousands hay,
crossed the border during the last tw,
years aud established homes in Canadi
upon land in no way superior to that o
our Rocky Mountain states
Mr. Gibson presents figures to ahov
the extent to which the absorption o
public lands has Increased during tn
past ak years and predicts
Should the annual increase in publ
land absorption continue m appears il
the foregoing table, the year endin;
] june 30. 1894 will show further segre
grafton from the public domain of %,
600 600 acres II should hc borne con
-tautly IN mind that this present absorp
tiun 81 -, coo 600 acres of Government
' hand every thirty days embraces In
very best farm lands aud the most val
uahlo timber lands at the disposal Of la
nation
, this time not including the hands q
r Alaska comprises llo GOO 600 acres, W
must deduct fully 21O 600 600 acres fo
mountain ranges and lands so broker
OF Sp deprived of fertile soil ~ to be IN
tlt for HgrIcultnre thus leaving approx
mptrly 200 600 600 nctcs uf irrigal |
and pnuirrigable farming hand and pas
tpral land some uf which il woodlAu
ana TIMBER baud At the present rat
uf public land Ab-osp,ion it VIII be- see
plainly that IN u yory short time MI q
our agricultural Government lAnl4 wi
be- taken under the various land act
now in force, and ! firmly believe TIM
by means Of our existing public Ian
policy. aud the efforts of men and con
pnnios occupying barge trHcts Of land f.
stock raising 10 prevent the settlement
. ~ the Rocky Mountain states, not on
acrr M forty ~ all the land Of ihos
E states suitable for agriculture will h
lakun hV home makers
PANDOM REMARKS