Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1904-09-30
speaking of the unite for pasturage


In order to determine this matter local
! knowledge must be had and exercised
IN the same manner as it is under the
reclamation projects. The question
is one largely of altitude, climate and
water supply, rather than extent of
land.
"Under the operation of the present
laws the securing of tract of land
large enough to support family in
the arid region is cumbersome and
expensive process. The nucleous of
the home farm may be 160 acre tract,
which the law allows as O. homestead
All persons admit that this nucleous is
only the first step aud that the man
who actually desires to make a home
there by stock farming must proceed
to resort to various eXpediences to
secure control of additional land in
order to support himself. To do this
requires either capital to purchase the
lands of other homesteaders or the
stock farmer must secure some form
of title through the desert land law,
timber and stone act, etc. In the ma
jority of cases the practices absolutely
necessary to secure an adequate area
are open to the charge of fraud or col.
lusion. 1t should not be necessary for
a man desiring homestead on vacant
public land to resort to indirect or
possibly fraudulent means; Oh the con-
trary he should be allowed and en-
couraged to take as much land as he
actually needs and be given every facil-
ity for SO doing.
"Ihere can be no hard and fast rule
as to the limits to be set for such land,
but knowledge of the water supply and
judgment may be used if the arid lands
are to be divided into tracts capable of
supporting a family. Under the opera
ton OF the laws at present in force
there is no possibility of equity in the
matter: men take their chances of get
ting enough land one way or another.
Ii they fail, they sell or relinquish
their rights to their neighbors until an
adjustment is finally attained at great
cost and hardship and without attain
ing the best result for the common
wealth, since in the general laxity of
the affairs the lands are not put to the
best use, and many of them gradually
pass into the hands of corporations
instead of being utilized for the sup.
port Of independent families"
With this expert opinion before them
the committee on public lands of the
house of representatives, of which Mai
John f. Lacey, of Iowa, is chairman
and who, possibly, knows more about
the public lands and the laws which
regulate them than any man in con
gress had comparatively easy tasl
before them in safe guarding the Kin
caid bill. 10 make it useful for the
purpose desired and in order to meet
the objections of certain western legis
lators, who saw possibly in the Original
draft of the bill a menace to their owl
4 lands, the bill was amended giving t,
> the homesteader $40 acres of lands, anC
2 in this form it became law
S While it is too early to realize what
}, effect the law will have upon the sec.
ton embraced in the Kincaid bill, i
T. undoubtedly will have direct bearin.
+ upon the remaining public lands il
4 Nebraska, about 100000 acres, ant
indirectly upon the 500O00,O00 acres il
! the west. If successful, as the friend:
n of the measure believe it will be, if il
! results in proving that,,in enlarging tn,
= homestead area to 64O acres to enable
r a small ranch farmer with improved
a farming methods to make living il
: the semi-arid west, the principle vii
;. be accepted for other districts in th'
j, adjoining states, which will thus b,
gradually changed from the battl,
: ground of conflicting live stock inter
ests into small homes of ranch farmers
The success of the Kincaid bill means
the Transformation of the range dis
tricts and the addition of thousands o
: new settlers where they are most need
: ed. The success of the Kincaid bill
means an increase of the taxable prop
, erty in countiesswhere located, ..and th'
: consequent decrease of the existing ia.
burdens now born by the business mel
, and property owners of other estates
= No one subject deserves so much a
: the hands of,.the western press as tn
q Nebraska, and it's failure will be a re
= proach upon the west and the men VIII
y made it mighty empire for the follow
ing of peaceful pursuits.
What is Life?
In the last analvsis nobody knnws