Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-04-10
Half a Billion
Acres Gobbled
GONE From Hands of Govern
ment to Private or Corporate
Holders For Purposes Other
Than Home Building.
big Railwa, Lines Taking An
intcrcS; In Securing settles
mcnt of Farm Lands.

IL has been estimated from official
ana compilations that at least
half n billion acres Of the national do
main have passed from the hands OF
the government, since its organiza-
ton, into private and corporate hold.
ipgs for purposes other than home
building.
In the early history Of the govern
ment, when our population was small
and the lands were looked upon az a
source of revenue for running the
national machinery, there may have
been some excuse for ~disposing OF
them In large tracts. but a rapidly
growing sentiment soon indicated the
adyisability Of securing a permanent
population on all lands disposed Of,
finally eliminating In the passage Of
the homestead act.
While the operation of this general
policy has been to satisfactorily settle
up much of the United States along
With it has flourished IA practice Of
fraud and evasion OF laws which has
cci sClidated enormous tracts into
single ownerships. Could the gov.
eminent be re~possessed Of this great
area acquired largely for speculative
purposes, what a safety valve It would
form today against the dangers Of cen
t~ralization in the east with which we
are coming face to face. There Is
little use, however, in theorizing upon
! what might have been. It Is worth
while. though, to pay some attention
to the remaining half billion acres Of
the public domain and to put a stop to
the present practice of sQuanderfne
this national resource. and holding II
until It Is wanted for actual settle
ment, II not now. ten or twenty OF
thirty years. may be.
The strong sentiment which Is i'm
patient OF delay In the governments
disposals Of It's lands and desires II
see 1t put into private hands as rapid,
as possible. comes mostly from an IN
terested class which is peculiarly ben
efiting by this policy. 2
II the plans which the government
ia now vigorously pushing, including
the irrigation of the seventy odd null
lion acres Of land susceptible OF tina
development and the regeneration o
even a greater amount OF arid an
semi-arid lands which can not be II
rigated. through the introduction Q
desert plants from the old world an
dry land methods of agriculture
are allowed to proceed, and the land
meanwhile held against speculation
opportunities for homemaking by mi
lions of people will be created in tn
west where there Is now only vast
desert or but scant forage growth SUI
~portipg wandering herds of cattle an
/, sheep.
:. The time will come, possibly soone
r that the country imagines in its pre-
ent headlong race after money, Whe
such an agricultural population, flrn
ly rooted TO the fertile western acre
will I've a welcome sheet anchor to tn
nation.
Railroads to Stimulate Farming.
That the western railroads al
n recognizing the ACCESSIBILITY OF stir
ulating settlement and agricultur
/, production along their lines In ord
, TO increase their traffic is evidence
by several significant moves whit
have been made during the year,ra
ically different from the metho'
v. heretofore practiced by all transco
a. tinental roads of %disposing OF the
large land holdings In the most rap
manner possible without regard
the size Of the tracts sold or wheth
settlement is to follow or not.
One OF the big lines Is consideri
the ACCESSIBILITY of providing a hon