Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-04-13


railroad systems should take kindly
TO any scheme that should have for
its purpose the building up OF the
west such generosity ie not explain
able on the cor of indirect eneit.
And even IL the railroads are greatly
interested in irrigation il does not ex-
plain the fact that they are backing
the movement against the land laws.
There are thousands of people in the
west who want TO see irrigation car
ried forward as rapidly as possible
yet do not take ultra views as re-
CARDS the repeal of the land laws.
They do not believe in having all set
Element and development of the coun.
try stop while they await the pleas
ure Of the national government in es-
tablishing irrigation works. Some
regions would have to wait half a cen
fury and then only to find the scheme
OF irrigation impracticable.
Mr.. Maxwell says that the money
contributed by the railroad is for ed
ucational purposes" but 1t is doubtful
II lobbying at Washington to repeal
the land laws can come under that
head.
Repeal all of the land laws and the
value of railroad lands would double
in value almost instantly and the
magnates of the transcontinental
lines are shrewd enough to know II.
Before the house committee in ans
wering the question as to how his sal
AIRY was paid Mr.. Maxwell admitted
that his salary was paid regularly
by contributions received from seven
transcontinental railroads"
In the senate debate on the bill,
Senator Warren, of Wyoming, in re-
ply to Gibson. of this state, said with
a vast r OF a billion Or more acres
awaiting settlement there was no
need of hysteria. that in twenty-five
years about FIVE million acres had
been disposed of by homesteading
and at this rate it would take 500
years to dispose of what was left. He
declared that the cattlemen were bet
ter off to have the land laws repealed
so that they could roam over the en-
tire lands of the state.
OF course, Mr.. Gibson took excep-
lions to this statement and said that
lin his state there was not one cat.
tleman who wanted the land laws re.
pealed.' He was even vehement in
his denial of the statement so far
as Montana was concerned Yet he
knows. or should know. that the TAX
ing up of land by actual settlers has
driven a good many cattlemen OF OF
the business or to regions where
there is access to the open range
Repeal the desert land act and they
will have the use of such lands fol
years TO come, unmolested by any
!; one. They will not have to pay 6
! cent for their use and no sane maj
would take up 100 acres of such lant
with the expectation of making a liv
ing therefrom. The big stockmel
have taken advantage of the deser
| land law because they were obliged
' to. not because they desired to pa,
heavy taxes on land holdings. Thi!
: very fact or necessity has added t.
: the wealth and e of ever,
stock county in the state and TO thu
treasury of the general government
2 as well. Not only the large stockmal
but the small grower, the farmer, !
you please, has had to take advan
tage OF the desert land law TO maxi
. a living in Montana and the majorit,
of them have not as yet reached tn
: time when they think they could safe
I ly dispose of an acre of their land.
4 AS to Mr.. Gibson's strenuous dc
r NAL of Senator Warren's statemen
I and as to his knowledge of the stu
alton in this state. we wish TO sa,
S that we can furnish him the address
e es of stockmen in this country VIII
e would like to see the desert land la,
e repealed for the very fact that
would lead to a system of leasin
@ which would necessarily follow If tn
government were to derive anythin
from the remaining public lands.
n But the land laws will not be n
y pealed very soon. The president ha
e Endorsed the recommendations of tn
Richards commission which calls fo
e modification. Additional safeguard
may be necessary but there is no gel
eral demand for repeal on the pal
h of the people of the west. There al
e some ultra agitators VINO are tryin
a to lift themselves into prominence b
their own bootstraps. II is well ths
y congress has taken their measur
ment and turned down their radio;
demands