Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1905-01-21
The Martin Bill.

The Dakota Farmer: There is a
movement on foot by many people west
of the Missouri in South Dakota and by
others in the same belt of country in
North Dakota, to secure an enactment
to permit demonstrating $40 acres in
place of l60 in that section.
This movement we most heartily en-
dorse. Few indeed are the quarter sec
tions in this part of the country on
which man can make living by stock
growing however economically managed
and still fewer where he may hope to do
very much in general agriculture unless
where water is available for irrigation.
But GAO acres, however dry and hilly it
may be, will generally enable one to
mix the farming and stock growing in
such way that he could hope to make
a success of it. OF course this does not
all apply to all parts of the country re-
ferred to, but it doeS apply to very much
the larger part of it. We believe that
law Of this kind, while it would result in
entirely breaking up the large ranches,
would also result in settling up this
country much quicker and more perma-
nently than any other one or ten things
that could be done. While in Belle
Fourche and Spearfsh the other day we
noted that petitions praying for this
change and posted in conspicuous places
were numerously signed
Commenting upon this change and it's
possible results, the Aberdeen News puts
it about right when it says:
Dispatches from Belle Fourche state
that the cattlemen are quitting the range
country many Of the largest cattlemen
selling off their herds as rapidly as pos
sible. This is in consequence of the set
tlement of the range country, which has
been going forward rapidly for some
time. If the bill to be introduced by
the South Dakota delegation in congress
providing for enlarged homesteads west
of the Missouri river should become
law, the rush of the cattlemen to aban.
don the field to the farmer and small
stock grower will increase. With Sec
ton of land the northwestern farmer
can combine stock raising and farming
with marked success and the entire
country west of the river would be set
tied up with unprecedented rapidity.
The argument made by some Dewspa-
pers that the enlarged homestead bill is
being pushed in the interest of the cat
tlemen is all bosh The homesteads
would be awarded to actual settlers un
der the careful supervision ofthe nation
al government and the cattlemen would
have no greater opportunity to secure
possession of the lands than they now
possess. IN fact their opportunities in
this respect would be considerably cur.
tailed, for they would find it far more
difficult to pay settler on section of
good land to abandon his homestead,
where he has every opportunity to at
tain riches, than they now have under
the present law.
Few men will deed over section Of
South Dakota land for anything less than
its full value, and the men whom the
cattlemen can find who will enter a sec
ton with that end in view, are so few
that it is altogether unlikely the attempt
will be made. A section of land will
give the homesteader q chance to ac-
quire competency speedily quarter
section makes It NECESSARY for him to
labor exceedingly hard for great num-
ber ofyears, with the chance then against
him.