Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-24
LAND FOR TIE PEOPLES Use
Northwest Nebraska Ought to Be Given
Over to Practical Purposes
WHERE FINE GRASS NOW GOES TO WASTE
Practical solution for the Question
of How 60 settle the sand Hills
f. ORered In Proposed
Law.
OFrom a staff correspondent

RUsHVILLE. Neb., Oct. 23-(special)-
Further investigation in the cattle country
OF Nebraska only confirms conditions as
they were found south of Ainsworth. viz:
That thousands Of acres Of the finest graz
ing lands are still unused and the future
outlook indicates that this waste OF beef
producing area will continue indefinitely, |
unless conditions are improved.
South of this place is really the pre-
serve of the big cattle interests, which ex-
tends west to the state line. Considerable
more farming was met with about Gordon |
than was expected. In fact the crop con- |
dtions were never better than this year In
western Nebraska and the cattle men here |
are doing well and will continue to do well |
II they can keep out of Jail, but the fact re- |
mains that there is room for ten times the |
number of cattle that is being grazed in |
these parts. The loss of beef-producing |
material in the shape of natural grass that |
is going to waste is so immense that 1t |
should have the careful thought and at
tenton of our thinking men.
Many ideas for Improvement of condi- |
tions are advanced Those who have fences |
do not regard themselves as bad men; they |
stoutly maintain that they are interfering
with the rights of no one, simply trying to
make use of that which is going to waste
1t appears to be only a question of in
terests Most people can bring their con-
science around to agree with their business
policy, and those who have had up unlaw-
full fences consider themselves no worse
than saloonkeeper who keeps his place
of business open a few hours on Sunday
for the benefit of his customers They
look upon the fence law about the same as
people I'm the cities and elsewhere look
upon the no-treat law.
FuinEs in Cherry County.
About half of the land in Cherry county
that was vacant when the T[incaid law was
passed has been filed on under that law
but there is yet vacant 100000 acres or more
in the county, which naturally includes the
poorest lands. A good many settlers have
moved into Cherry county during the last
year. but IL is very plain that many OF the
filings were made by persons who were not
prepared to move onto their lands and use
them for what they are best adapted. As
a matter of fact few people who can at all
make a livine where they are desire to
move their families out into the prairie miles
| avay from schools and churches and II
cannot be gainsaid that quite percentage
| OF the filings have been made by persons
! with the same ideas those who filed for
registration on the Rosebud lands with
| hope of making money out of the Hing
without actually residing on the land. This
| being the fact. makes conditions more lone
some and undesirable for those who do
| actually reside on their homesteads
1t must be plain to thinking men that the
| past and present methods OF settling UP
| western Nebraska is unsatisfactory Those
who are honest and want to live up TO the
requirements Of the homestead laws are
! expected to do too much to get title to
these lands They observe lax compliance
with the homestead laws all around them
| by persons less conscientious and do not
! feel that they are getting a square deal.
] In many instances it is necessary to take
their cattle away from the homestead dur
ing the winter In order to get hay to feed,
as there is really nothing to keep them
/ on the land during the winter months.
Some have suggested that If the law al
! lowed them to use the land for grazing
I'm the summer months and permitted them
to live elsewhere during the winter It
would be a relief This idea is suggested
by those who favor the adoption of what
Is termed the German village" plan; that
is, that the homesteaders form districts
to be divided into ten-acre tracts for win
ter homes for the homesteaders. the viii
lagos being located in the hay districts,
all homesteaders being allowed to live In
the village during the winter months,
where they might have good schools,
churches and otheC desired advantages Of
civilization.
sale of UnOccuPied Lands.
The idea is advanced here as well as at
Ainsworth that the grazing lands not now
filed upon should be sold to persons to use
for grazing purposes, and that while the
law should compel the use of the land by
the purchaser it should not undertake to
make him live upon the land unless he so
desired
The most sensible suggestion so far ad-
vanced proposes that a law be passed
} throwing the remaining public land in Ne
braska open to purchase on some such a
plan as the Omaha Indian lands were sold
the price per acre being fixed by congress
, at something near the value of the land
taking into consideration the real value Of
the land for grazing purposes its real
value being the amount of beef 1t will
! actually produce from year to year. The
= advocates of this plan would have the land
sold to individuals in limited tracts, ar
ranging that the purchase of one indi-
Vidual should not be more than would
properly Craze about 300 head of cattle.
= Those who are owning and occupying their
homesteads now would be given thirty
days preference right to purchase any
vacant lands adjoining their present home
steads. One-sixth of the purchase price
would be paid down at the time the land
is bought from the government and one
sixth each year thereafter for the next
ive years Under this plan patent would
not issue until five years after the land
, had been bought, and when the five years
! was up the purchaser would be required
! to make proof about the same as the
present practice, only that residence would
4 not have to be shown. As a safegua rd
the applicant TO purchase should be re-
quired to file an affidavit at the end Of
each year showing how many head Of cattle
4 had been grazed on the land during the
calendar year. The law should name a
f, minimum number required to be grazed in
order that il the number was not grazed
the purchase be cancelled and some one
. | else allowed TO buy the land. The amount
OF improvements required should be les.
sened. The idea OF requiring $500 worth
of improvements on 800 worth OF land /.
impractical II permitted 10 stand Il viii
be a breeder Of perjury.
Would Interest Capital
= Such a law would permit farmers, mer
chants. professional men and others II
the eastern part Of the state to engag,
| in the cattle business ana hfra znf,,. -.