The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1904-04-21
Of Interest to idallOanS,
From our Washington Correspondent

Congressman French has been an
earnest participant in the numerous
meetings of the House Committees
on Public Lands and Irrigation.
lie has taken an active stand mop
position 10 the repeal of the present
land laws, and yesterday carried
the matter to the floor Of the House
where he delivered an address
against The proposed repeal. He said
iii part:
II wish to discuss the land laws
and proposed legislation only sd
lar as the vital features Of Ii sys-
TEN are concerned and shall touch
upon the bills provided for the al
teratlon Of the present scrip law
and the bills calling for the repea1
of the stone and timber act, thf
communication clause Of the home
stead laws and the desert lard act,
and shall endeavor to notice then
in the order of their mention.
"A bill is now pending beforR
Congress which provides for TIL
repeal OF the scrip law, as far as
the law makes possible the seleq
ton by scrip Of any lands chiefl )
valuable for the timber they cor :
tain. It IS exactly III the rigH t
line but ! would have it 80 furthet :.
would have It repeal the scri p
law III its entirety so that not q II
acre of scrip could ever be ISSUE d
by the Government in the futur T,
OF, il issued, l would have its us sc
limited to the State which coiltail is
the land for which it is issued, an d
TO land Of no greater value, No
law that Congress cat pass can
effect the validity of the scrip d.
ready issued and the scrip that is
now out must stand. The law dr-
iginally contemplated helping the
settler here and there who mig Int
find himself Shut in by reserve, | ut
the law i'll its practical work. lg
helps the railroad companies a nd
AlASlNr5No ll- NdluS VI tHSii iufih
grants possibly millions OF dolla rs.
again the use OF script nterfe res
with the valid homesteader and the
most serious competitor the holf ne
steader has is the holder OF scr ip.
Here is violated one OF the cardi pal
principles that underlie the BIT ID
ing Of a great nation, the divisi ion
OF its lands into comparativ ELY
small tracts among the masses OF
its people. We do not want Dur
t lands owned by large concef MS.
, We do not want a competitor il
the shape OF q great railroad c pm
pany to compete with the indi id
nal home builder for the most yal-
, liable lands within the bounds o.
the Government domain. We dc
not want large blocks Of i had
&. owned by soulless corporate pms
that will hold it until III the co urs(
Of time its value will be incre aset
by reason Of expanding popula tiol
y and by the energy Of some II els'
and not their own.
4 I'VE want our lands owned b,
! individuals, and we want eacl
individual to have his share. "
{ want homes. We want fam lilies
e These develop our country. The.
It bring schools. They erect chu rhes
IS They construct roads. They max
= Iich their community. They up
build their state. They 81 ppor
II their nation.
!. Again, scrip should be ca pabl
n Of use only within the sta tie i
IS which it is issued. 1t is not rigl
that any state should not only SUI
, render for the public good the Ian
: included within reserves, but ais
lie be the dumping ground for scri
lie that may be issued i'll other state:
N 1T is demanded by some til;
. the timber and stone law be ! epea
ed. a bill has already passed Il
st Senate and is pending befo Re Il
&c Committee on Public Lands, lool
ne ing to that end. The main argl
he ment against the law is char ges
= fraud, and vet the Public LAM
. Commission, W. y. Ri hard
ne Hen. F. II. Newell, and Hoi
Clifford Pinchot, appoints ID
at President Roosevelt last Octob
" for the purpose of inquirirl 6 III
the workings Of these and otht
- laws, in their report of Ma rch
nc 1904, while advising the re peal
ly the stone and timber acts as a pc
sc icy, vet brush away the cha ges
70 fraud when they say: gre
number OF such entries (ti1n ber al
stone act) were recently sus pende
iSs but the most rigid inves tigati'
failed to show that any co nsider
bic portion of them had bee II ma
in violation of the law, and t
suspensions were removed.
1T appears that the III dividt
..o lie -,At,+ a.,