Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-03-30
MOTIVE BACK
OF REPEALERS
Senator Says Movement to Repeal
Land Laws Is Due to Efforts OF
Land Monopolists.
THEY WOULD GET BIG RAKE.oFF
Company Purchased Land for Use an
Acre and Are Pushing the Re-
peal Act.

Washington. March Ex-senator
Hansborough charged in the senate
today that the movement to secure
the repeal of the desert land law, the
timber and stone act, and the com
mutation clause of the homestead
act. was due to the efforts of a lob
by composed mainly of holders OF
lands bought in large tracts from rail-
road companies, with a desire there
by to increase the demand for their
property. Senator Dubois intimated
that the pressure for repeal was due
to large holdings of forest lieu lands
by the railroads.
Senator Gibson ADVOCATED repeal.
ing the laws in question. Senator
Hansborough and Dubois contended
that the repeal would be unwise.
Senator Newlands favored modifica.
tons of the law.
Mr.. H%ansborough minated that
there was an Interior motive in the
movement for the repeal of the laws
In question, saying that there was In
| Washington an organization prepar.
ing the way for the repeal of the
desert land, timber ana stone act. In
speaking of this organization he said:
Il am satisfied it is the purpose of
this organization to enhance the val.
tie OF private holdings in segrated
lands.
He said In this connection that he
made no charge that any senator or
member of the house of representa-
tives was interested in any such or
ganization. He added that "one OF
the individuals In connection with
this organization has recently been
receiving a princely salary from one
of the land grant railroads for the
past six years.
Il found. upon investigation, that
a great syndicate has recently pur
chased at the price of 10 cents an
acre n large body OF land from the
Union Pacific railroad company. and
the managers of that company have
been here in Washington comforting
with officials to secure the repeal OF
the laws in question.
Then. therefore," he added. sen
ators talk of s~yndicates of cattlemen
land barons. etc. when people On the
outside accuse senators of being the
agents Of such s~yndicates; I think
it no more than fair that attention
should be called to other syndicates
In respect to the laws"
Mr.. Newlands expressed the hope
that the land laws might be material
ly modified.
Monopoly of lands. asserted Mr.
Newlands, had been the cause o
most OF the series of European wars
He said concentration of lands il
California had interfered with thu
proper development of the state.
Mr.. Dubois said the charges o
fraud in the public land states wer'
a sweeping indictment of the admin
istration of the land laws. and tina
he for one resented them. He neye
had known a case of fraud under tn,
operation Of the desert land laws II
Idaho. and. in view of the fact tina
it was the only law under which tn
public land states could be settled
he thought its repeal would be a ca
lamity. He declared that the tim
for large holdings Of land had passe'
away, and said the only legitimat
complaint to be made against the e,
%ecution of the land laws al presen
was in connection with the use of fol
eign lieu scrip, most of which. h
said, was held by railroad compaI
les.