Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-16
BENEFITS OF
RECLAMATION ACT
Congressman French Says il is
Biggest Public Blessing Since
Homestead Law.
EAST is NOT SATISFIED,
Proposition That Settler May Secure
Land Without Living On il All
The Time.
HON. BURTON L. FRENcH)


No law that Congress has enacted
for the benefit OF the west since the
passage of the national homestead law,
is destined to produce such great bless
ing as the national reclamation act,
Under It's operation, II viii not be diff
ficult for each arid state to vastly in
crease its area OF producing land.
BY reason Of the limitations, however,
In this measure, the homestead law
furnishes the only means whereby the
settler may become possessed of land
that is not already patented, and the
experience of the past couple of years
has made 1t apparent that the home
stead law does not fit conditions as
they actually exist under the reclama-
ton act. This law presupposes exist
ing conditions favorable TO settlement,
The homesteader must live upon his
homestead, and 1t is assumed he can
make his living from the first. almost
entirely from the land.
Leave of absence may not be granted,
even though the homesteader can not
make a living, because the law Is con-
strued TO mean that cause for leave,
as regards failure OF crop, applies to
conditions that cause failure that are
not normal. The arid character is not
an unusual but the constant condi-
tloa. Consequently the settler must
make his home upon the arid tract OF
land that he has entered upon, under
the only existing law until the govern
ment furnishes water for his land.
And right here Is where the misfit
OF the law occurs. Many settlers, in
fact, | may say most settlers, are not
able financially to live upon an arid
tract OF land for a number of years,
admitting that they could by means
OF wells. or by hauling water. raise u
semblance of a crop, proof Of which
they could use as basis for final
proof.
This being the case, the homesteader
must, unless he possess some means,
abandon his claim. He may even sell
his REIMBURSEMENT to some other home
seeker who thinks he can hang on"
Till the water comes, but he cannot be
compensated for the year, or two or
three years, he has lived or existed
upon the land.
On the other hand, the government
seems unable to develop the irrigation
projects more rapidly. These projects
involve millions of expense and vast
engineering difficulties Besides this,
there must be no failure, The east
Is not wholly satisfied OF the ultimate
success Of the irrigation experiment"
and success alone upon our part will
commend us to their confidence.
IL has been suggested that the set
tier Is at fault, that he should not have
gone upon the land, that he should
wait until the water is in readiness
TO be turner on. But this suggestion
Is not right. The law itself is an
invitation for settlement else why
should 1t be upon our statutes? And
II the present settlers do not go upon
the land, others will go, and the lands
will be occupied. More than this II Is
a good thing rather than an injury. To
have prospective settler for every
foot of land that will be reclaimed.
In View OF the foregoing conditions,
| propose that the law for the acquir-
ing of land be modified so that actual
residence uDon the land will not be
required all OF the time till the gov
eminent shall be ready to put water
into the bitches. This idea, II enact
ed into law, would be almost limitless
| In good, 1t would benefit the govern
ment because II would prevent the al
most countless contests that must in
evitably follow the present system.
| II would benefit the settler by freeing
! him of the contest and establishing his
status. 1t would benefit the settler
again, because he would be permitted
| TO earn his living and educate his chill
| dren In some nearby community al
| ready developed. IL would benefit the
| country to be reclaimed, for each set
| tier would take a pride in clearing his
land, constructing his fences and ex-
| pending annually In improvements
| from one to several hundred dollars
that he can now barely obtain TO live
| upon.