Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-02-25
REPORT Of
LAND COMMISSION
Strongly Opposed to Present
Forest, Land and Agricul.
tural Laws.
ATTITUDE OF
THE PRESIDENT
Prospect for Congressional Ac-
ton 10 Prevent Further
Sacrifice Of the Public
Domain.

Not many documents sent TO con
grcss by a president. which contain
fuch f~sr-reachlng recommendations
have caused less notice than the report
OF the public lands commission, print
cd last week, with a special message
from the president, heartily endorsing
ali It's findings, and characterizing the
subject as one OF great magnitude
and Importance"
The public lands commission Is com
posed OF w. A. Richards. commissioners
OF the general land office. Frederick
II. Newell, chief engineer OF the rec
lamatlon service. and Clifford pinchot,
chief forester.
Their report IL a short document OF
dozen pages, but II Ia a scathing, II
dIgnificd, arraignment OF our various
agricultural and timber land laws. II
its recommendations are carried out
by congress- 1t win effect a smashing
OF cherished Idols In the west and mn
0yerturn OF a general practice OF ac-
-uuirlng government lana because y ~,
there to acquire aud u One man don't
yet II, another man will.
This report In one OF the most pro-
found documents which has come to
congress for some time. In discuss.
Ing the question OF land monopoly,
although not under that yellow"
head, Il states that nearly everywhere
In the west tho large land n has
succeeded In securing the best tracts,
whether of timber or agricultural land.
No specific acreagee ara stated In the
report but to Indicate the extent TO
which lands have been acquired by
single corporations. a government en-.
ginecr recently called attention, at a
meeting of engineers. to q single tract
of western land owned by a corpora.
tion. embracing four million acres.
sIhere has been some cutlery against
this condition. the report states. vel
the lack OF greater protest Is signifi
cant. 1t IL explained by the energy
ahrowdness and influence Of men tc
whom the continuance OF the present
land laws In desirable.
REORGANIZATION" Inns had inquiries
made ag to how a number OF estates
elected haphazard. hahe been &C
CURED. Almost without exception
collision or evasion Of the letter an,
spirit OF the land laws was involved
II In not necessary TO be inferred tina
the present owners OF these estate
were dishonest. but tho fact remain
that their holdings were acquired o
consolidated by practices which can
not be- defended.
Claims Patented without Making o
Homes.
There exists and In spreading Il
the west a tenant or hired labor sys
tenn. which not only represents a rela
lively low Industrial development, bu
whose further extension carries witt
1t a most serious threat. Politically
socially. and economically. this system
is indefensihlc. Had the land law
been effective aud effectually en-
forced It's growth would have bee
impossible.
''rhe fundamental fact that charac
terizes the present situation Ii this
that the number of patents issued /
increasing out of all proportion TO III,
neu horaes
The report states that under IN
timber and stone act "the government
has lost and IL losing yearly vas
sums OF money through The sale o
baluahle timber lands TO spectators
and recommends in the public iuteres
that the law should be repealed.
The lieu land forest reserve Law
Is also criticised as a ~scandalous &c
and SIS immediate repeal recommend
cd.
The commute ion clause Of III
homestead law Il also scored as hay
ing resulted In the entering Of grca
areas Of g~obernmant land for the pui
pose OF speculation.
Houses Guilt, But No. Occupied.
The homestead shsntios Of the CON
muters. II Is stated. may be seen 1
various degrees OF dilapldation. Blu
they show no evidence OF genuine oc
~cupation. Tho great bulk Of the com
mu,ing business Is transacted through
some agent who represents his ellen
in all dealings and prepares all pa
pers % allow entry by school teachers
servants, etc. who are in no sense
settlers.
The report denouncee the desert