Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-02-13
Opposition to
Bigger Homestead
Six Hundred and Forty Acres
Claimed TO Be Too Much
for One Man.

The overthrow Of the old home
sioad law and the subai'mtion Of a
Gao acre homestead IL being rapidly
contaminated so far az the change can
be pushed along ~ ne public lands
committee OF the house That body
voted The other day p recommend
the passage a. q square mile home
stead bill A. applied % 100000 ~
10000. GOO acres q land ~ western
South Dakota. although 4 minority Of
the committee consisting of Chairman
Lacey and R-epresentives Mondcll OF
Wyoming Miller Of Kansas and Need
ham Of California VIII, & il under
stood. bring In a separate report
against the bill The committee viii
take up succeeding bills applying the
square mile homestead to other states
This report Of the committee was
made In the face OF n strong adverse
recommendation from the commission.
or Of the general land office and the
secretary Of the interior, The com
missioner pointed TO the fac, that a
similar bin was enacted last year for
western Nebraska lands "aS an IN
pertinent" and he stated ths, safti.
Glen, time had no, elapsed 10 warrant
any conclusion whatever favorable
10 the Nebraska or Klnksid iA~
Under the South Dakota bin the
government IL given fuir wonths In
which 20 make a complete Auryey Of
the state and withdraw any lands
suitable for irrigation There ia no
proyislon In the blu. however. by
which the government could withdraw
lands IL might fad 10 be suitable for
agriculture without irrigation.
Unless q strong sentiment IL de-
yeiopea In opposition 10 this blll. II
IL likely TO quietly slip through con.
gress. 80 slight In the interest mani.
fease1 nv eastern members gn the
question Of Tho development and I'D.
ninlssratlon Of the gsrat agricultural
domain Of the cosntry. Thcrc ssssms
10 be a disposition 10 let the public l
LANDS take care III themselves. no
matter what aoa ~ fraud and
speculation In them is shown 20
exist, 10 pass by the problem and even
- In this instance to enact further
~aiioHlug their llore rapid dis
posaf
NO more dangerous nor insidlous
Measure than this squaFemiie home.
stead scheme. said a prominent mem.
Der Of congress. has Of late come be.
oonsysss. Ii Ia unqusstionabiy
m attractive ldea and Will meet with
enthusiastic support by those who de
Hire TO eur Large tracts OF our az
rituhuraf lands. regard II az
mos, dangerous piece Of legislation"
In speAking OF this action OF the
hoass public landz committee. Senator
4 member Of the public lands
OF the senate. said:
The absorption Of cur public lands
INTO great private holdings ia going
10 under our present laws Mt railroad
srsed. but this plan 10 permit = man
10 take up u square mile II land In to
my mind Ntsle short of ubiquitous. II
would condemn much ~ our finest
Agricultural lands 10 the ~novsAwest
OF growing erops and sap
families ON small trarss. to
perpetual stock grazing. Nor ~ouid
II result tn 60 acre stock rancn.
THIS square mile unit IA too much
land for q man tn farm and too little
for him 10 successfully ralso stock up
The result would be thar In che
way or another. The land wouia be
concentrated into big holdings. very
effectively preventing settlement,
there In a great future Ia agriculture
for nay state and adjoining states, boz
such n Law az this would do much 10
shatier our hopes for the development /
OF real farming"
II IL admitted at tho capitol that 10
secure the enactment of a general iaw
allowing homestead entries Of a square
mile would be impossible: but IL is
expected TO take mp the aaestiou
state by state, n state having al
ready been granted the right aud 10