The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-03
WARREN SPEAKS
FOR WYOMING
Denies That Land Frauds Are
Practiced in That State.
GIBSON THINKS DIFFERENT
REPEAL BILL CREATES SOME
CONNECTION.

Washington, April "a conspicuous
feature in the senate. chamber today
was a large easel bearing upon it a
series Of pictures showing the effect
OF irrigation and the Wyoming tract
OF irrigated land which has been the
subject Of controversy in connection
with the debate upon AIr. Gibson's bill
Tor the repeal of the land laws. The
easel was placed in the chamber at the
request OF Mr.. Warren, who had given
Hotice or his intention to address the
senate on the bill. Mr.. Warren did not
however. find opportunity to speak al
the beginning OF the days session. Mr..
mallory continuing his speech on the
tarmack resolution looking to an in
curry into the legality of the old age
pension order OF Secretary Hitchcock.
When Mr. Mallory concluded. a bin
establishing a fish hatchery in Utah
was passed.
Warren's Speech.
The land law repeal bin was then
taken up and AIr. Warren proceeded
With mis- speech. He took q position IN,
opposition 20 the wholesale repeal of
the land laws and said that the de-
mand Tor a change had already beer
met by the senate in its action on the
timer and stone act. He also called
attention TO the fact that the president
nad endorsed the recommendations of
the richards commission, which were
IN the Interest Of modification, but NOT
OF the repeal of the law. Mr.. Warren
expressed the opinion that we are in
no danger from the absorption of the
public domain.
What is the public domain for?" he
asked, IF not TO be absorbed
tie added that he would be plea sod
70 have il taken twice as rapidly. pro-
vided it be taken by settlers. He said
that more than one-third Of the total
area Of the United States, including
Alaska is sill public. and concluded
that the government should offer lib
eral encouragement to settlers.
Quoted Mr.. Gibson.
With vast area of 1000. 00O. 900 or
Or more acres awaiting settlement. Mr..
Warren said there was no need to have
hysteria. Mr. Warren asked how much
OF this area was inhabtable with OF
without irrigation. and then he quoted
from the speech of Mr.. Gibson to show
mat there were about $4,000. 900 acres
Of the arid regions TT for irrigation.
Mr.. Warren said that in twenty-five
years about 5000. 900 acres had been dis
posed Of by homesteading. and at this
rate il would take 500 years to dispose
OF what was left. He said he could
not agree with all Mr.. Gibson had SAID
on the subject. however. and he read
from the government statistics To show
the extent Of the public domain and
the classes Of land into which it was
divided.
Patterson Asks a Question.
Mr.. Patterson asked how the cattle
men of Wyoming obtained their titles
10 $4,000 and 90 900 acres of land. Mr..
Warren saic the greater part of it was
bought from the railroad companies.
70 whom the land was given by the
United States government as a bonus
for railroad building. He declared that
The cattlemen were better off to have
the land laws repealed so that they
could roam over the entire lands of the
state.
Mr.. Gibson said he knew cattiemen.
and that in his state there was not one
who wanted the land laws repealed. He
denied emphatically the correctness of
Mr.. Warren's statement so far as Mon
tana was concerned.
Il am inclined to let the senator
speak for his own state" said Mr.. War
rem. When he made his speech the
other day ne tried to speak for my
state"
Abuses Admitted.
Mr.. Warren declared that the move
ment for repeal was due TO the large
landholders Of the west. who hoped
thereby 90 enhance the value OF their
holdings. He admitted that there had
been abuses under the timber and stone
act. but said the senate already had
taken steps TO check that evil.
As to tho charge Of fraud il was ca sy
10 make. but not easy TO stop them. and
I'm Illustration Of his contention m.
quoted letter from the secretary Of
the interior showing that only one en-
try out of 500 under the desert land law
and only one out of every 600 home
etead entries was fraudulent.
Mr.. Gibson interrupted with the sug-
gestion that the reason for the small
number Of cancellations was the gov
ernments failure to make the investiga-
ton il should.
Mr.. Warren replied that he was not