The Washington times., 1906-02-17
CONGRESS To PASS
A NEW LAND BILL
Important Laws Bearing on
Public Domain.
UNDESIRABLE TERRITORY
Many Acres Go Begging in the Far
West for Want of
Takers.

The present Congress is likely TO pass
III a quiet way and without attracting
much attention, acts under which the
remainder of the public domain viii
be disposed Of. These will be among
the mos. important band laws ever
passed. and they viii constitute the
basis from which viii be carried on IN
future the laad business OF the Gov
ernment.
The homestead laws have done their
work. but tb.'r day is almost past.
The land iha; $ worth taking III I60-
acre tracts = about all gone. And yet
there is stiH empire within the un-
claimed public domain. Much OF It Is
in mineral ;ands. These lands present
the great i.4bIic land problem OF to-
day. Under the houestead laws no.
body wants them, for the grass t}sy
produce is so sparse that 100 acres
would be utterly worthless if segre-
gated from surrounding lands.
Government. Big Holding.
The semi-arid region stiu owned by
the Government embraces an area
probably as large as any two countries
OF Europe outside Of Russia The lss4
Congress passed the Kfnkaid bill per
mittiug. in the semi-arid region of Ne
braska. the pre-emDtion of $40 instead of
$50 acres as a homestead. This was in
tended as an experiment. and there Is
wide difference of opinion as 10 wheth-
eF IL has been a success
When the law passed there were about
600 acres of the public lands in that
State: in less than two years about O.
ooo,0o9 of these have been homesteaded,
On its face this seems "a great achieve
ment: but i is declared that the Kin
kajd bill was IN fact used by the cat
tie barOns OF Nebraska 10 get color Il
iegsi rights on the land they had under
fence They induced old soldiers 10
homestead il. and then bought reIin-
duishments of the claims for very small
sums.
In this way they were I,Ic - hold
tie land for a time AMI il IS claimed
that a series of nanipuIatIons. based on
the use of soldiers rights. has ena Sled
the big stot kmrn TO iutrench themselves
in this region On the other hand, Judge
kinkaid ans The supporters of bis meas
ure insist thSt tbe instances II frasl
have been greatly exaggerated; that
most e the prescriptions have Leen
honest Iad legitimate. and that the law
is a co:u1.ete success. They say If it is
left alone Il viii result in few more
years. N tn; 2re-emption of about ali
or the Nebraska lands
Cattle Barons' Petition.
Apparently the cattle barons who have
been most frequently charged with being
the real benehciaTfes OF this act are not
entirely pleased with it, for they are
sending UP petitions from al! over the
West for passage by Congress OF a law
that will make it possible to lease these
lands for long terms Of years. They
have had one of their attorneys prepare
a bill looking TO leasing these lands fer
Il period OF twenty years at one-haIf
cent per acre per annLm, subject at any
time 20 hOmeSteading. This bill has
been introduced by Judge Kinkaid. but
IS marked by request and is known
not 10 be specially favored BY him
best solution of the question. and wants
il left in force long enough TO make
q fair test In this view he is sustained
by many Western interests. and there
is considerable sentiment in favor OF
permitting 640-acre hOmesteads through
out much wider region
Classification Bill.
Chairman Lacey Of the Public Lands
Committee in the House has introduced
g. bill which looks to classifying the
public lands in six classes, and leasing
them. the rental to vary from one to six
cents per acre per year, according to the
character and usefulness Of the land Mr..
Curtis of Kansas, whose State is deeply
interested in the same problem. has an
other leasing bill.
Next week the committee Will begin
hearings on these various bills with the
view to reporting as early as possible
The Western interests will be extensive
~ represented, delegations are expected.
on both sides OF the question. from all
the arid or semi-arid States and Terri
tories Many plans viii be proposed.
and about the only thing that can now
be predicted with safety is that the
whole method of handling public lands
for the future viii be radically affected
by the conclusions.