The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-10-17

serving them for the people, The most
valuable bodies of land outside of the
forest reserves have been obtained by
big lumber companies, and are being
held for future use, SO that, to a
large extent, the timber lands of the
country have now passed into relative
ly few hands.
According to report that comes
from Washington on this question a
high government official has this to
say:
"Comparing the proceeds of the dis
posal Of the public lands for 1901 and
up to 1905 with those received in pre-
vious years, it is noted that there has
been a wonderful increase in the rate
Of disposal of the remaining public
lands. owing to the agitation for re-
form of the land laws. II these re-
forms could have been brought about
several years ago. the reclamation
fund would probably have been much
smaller: but, on the other hand, the
government would still be the owner
Of tracts Of forest which are worth
at least $40 an acre. az compared with
$3.50, the amount now required.
DepIorabIs Sacrifice.
In other words, while the govern
mont has gained in the reclamation
fund several million dollars, in addi-
ton to what it would have had, It has
on the other hand. disposed OF proper
ty worth eight times as much. This
sacrifice of public lands would not
have been as oeplorable If the lands
had posed into the hands of actual
settlers and citizens who would have
utilized them; but. unfortunately,
large syndicates or corporations. which
are holding them for future advances
and for general speculative purposes.
Thus, it happens, that the man with
small capital, or with nothing beyond
his strength and intelligence, cannot
now gain a foothold upon the soil, and
the commonwealth loses the advant-
age Of competition and Of steady in
crease Of population, and home build
ers,"
The situation above outlined is be-
lieved to explain in large part the fact
that the Canadian northwest for sew
eral years has been attracting large
numbers of American farmers. These
men, unable to buy cheap farming land
in their own country, have been COM
PEELED to turn to a country where land
laws are more properly administered,
and where settlers are encouraged in
every legitimate way to help in the
work of national development.
The difference between public land
administration here and in Canada mas
been most marked. Here the result of
the governments unbusinesslike policy
has been to satisfy the greed Of the
great corporations at the expense Of
the Individual settler. In Canada the
have been restrained and
every power Of the government has
been strained to protect and encourage
the individual. 1t is barely possible
that congress, possibly at the next
session, may finally conclude to work
out a general revision of the public
land laws. but it is believed by off,
Gals Of the general land office that it
is now too late for such a revision to
accomplish much.
So little, comparatively, of the gov
ernment's immense public domain now
remains in government hands, that
land law revision now would be al
most tantamount to locking the door
after the horse had been stolen. The
wonderfully large sales Of public land
during the last few years as has been
set forth above was due almost en-
tirely to the desire Of the great cor
porations to grab all the desirable
land possible before congress could en-
act land legislation. And while the
grabbing process was going on the
land companies maintained Hobbies in
Washington for the purpose of oppos-
ing revision and in a general way be-
Jogging the issue. 1t was very clever
game in it's way, and the country as a
whole will suffer from it for many
years. A few Of the chief manipula-
tors Of these big deals are being
brought to book, as witness the recent
in Oregon and the indict-
ments which have been brought else
where, but even this work, while salu-
tary and highly important, has come at
too late day to protect the land areas
from spoliation.