The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1906-03-02
TO DISPOSE OF -
A VAST DOMAIN
Laws Expected TO Be Passes
Pertaining to Govern
ment Acres.
EXPECT CLASSIFICATION
Problem in Some Cases 10 a Hard On,
-kinkaid Bill Was Passed as
an Experimsnt-values
Vary.


tention, acts under which the remain
der ofrthe public domain will be dis
posed of. These will be among the
most important land laws ever passed.
and they will constitute the basis from
which will be carried on In future the
land business of the government.
The homestead laws properly rank as
button to the upbuilding and wealth of
the nation. They were passed when
Uncle Sam was rich enough to give US
all a farm, but the farm wasn't much
more than worth the taking. The home
stead laws have done their perfect
work; but their day is almost past.
The land that is worth taking in 100
acre tracts is almost gone. Forest re-
serves. irrigation projects. etc, will alb
sorb a considerable share Of these pub
lie lands that are still worth while and
that attract,the citizen or the promoter.
Still an Empire Left.
And yet. after making allowance for
all of these features. there is still an
empire within the unclaimed public do
main. Much of 1t is in mineral lands.
and IL great share comprises the fast
will never have any value save as a
storehouse Of moisture that may be
used for irrigation. and as reservoir
of nigh class ozone for health resort
consumption. Another immense area
comprises the arid and semi-arid plains,
once roamed over by herds of innum-
cradle buffaloes. These plains extend
ern slopes of the Rockies. They are not
entirely without rainfall. and they have
rich soil. They constitute great
natural cattle range. used first by the
buffalo. and later, when the buffalo had
been exterminated. by man and his
herds of long horned cattle.
These lands present the great public
land problem of today. Under the
homestead laws nobody wants them.
for the grass they produce is so sparse
that 160 acres would be utterly worth
less II segregated from surrounding
lands. To handle bunch of stock 1t is
necessary to have free access to wide
range Of such lands.
The stoekmsn's Way.
: The stockmen have solved the prob
lem for themselves by calmly fencing
in immense domains of these public
lands. and recently Uncle Sam has
been heartlessly putting them into jail
for 1t. 1t is perfectly plain that the
homestead act cannot be applied to
these lands If they are to be made to
produce any wealth. To hold them
for homesteading in 16O-acre tracts is
to depopulate them. to drive away the
herds that roam over them, and to de-
strOy a great industry.
So long as the cattlemen We're per-
mitted to fence up and use the public
lands at their own convenience the Sit
uation was not critical. But as soon
as efforts were undertaken to enforce
and to restore the land to it's rightful
place as part Of the public domain, SUBJ
ject to homesteading. then the whole
Question arose as to the applicability
of the present land laws to these lands.
Everybody agrees that they are utter
ly inapplicable. and the public lands
committees are at work to formulate
new ones.
kindaid Law an Experiment.
The semi-arid region still owned by
the government embraces an area
probably as large as any two countries
of Europe outside of Russia. The last
congress passed the Kinkaid bill, by
Congressman Kinkaid Of Nebraska.
permitting. in the semi-arid region of
Nebraska, the presumption OF $40 in
stead of 100 acres, as homestead.
This was intended as an experiment,
and there is wide difference Of opinion
as to whether 1t has been a success.
When the law passed there We're about
100000 acres of the public lands in
that state: in less than two years
about 100000 Of these have been
great achievement; but it is declared
that the Kinkaid bill was in fact used
by the cattle barons Of Nebraska to
get color Of legal rights on the land
they had under fence. They induced
old soldiers to homestead it. and then
bought ACCOMPLISHMENTS of the claims
for very small sums. In this way they
were able to hold the land for a time.
and 1t is claimed that series Of man
EQUATIONS, based on the use Of SOL
diers' rights, has enabled the big stock
men to entrench themselves in this re-
gion. On the other hand. Judge Kin
kaid and the supporters Of his meas
ure insist that the instances of fraud
have been greatly exaggerated: that
most of the prescriptions have been
honest and legitimate. and that the
law Is complete success. They say
II 1t Is left alone it will result, in a
few more years. in the presumption of
about all of the Nebraska lands.
Petitions Of Protest.
Apparently the cattle barons who
have been most frequently charged
with being the real beneficiaries Of this
act are not entirely pleased with 1t, for
they are sending up petitions from all
over the west for the passage by con-
gress Of a law that will make 1t posi-
BILE to lease these lands for long terms
Of years. They have had one Of their
attorneys prepare bill looking to leas-
ing these lands for period Of twenty
years, at II cent per acre per annum,
subject at any time to demonstrating.
This bill has been introduced by Judge
Kinkaid, but Is marked by request"
and is known not to be especially ia
,vored by him. He believes his own bill
offers the best solution Of the ques-
ton. and wants it left In force long
enough to make fair test. In this
view he is sustained by many western
interests, and there is considerable SEN
timent in favor of permitting 640-acre
homesteads throughout much wider
region.
Chairman Lacey, of the public lands
committee in the house. has introduced
bill which looks to classifying the
public lands in six classes and leasing
them, the rental to vary from to s
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 another leasing bill.
(, This week probably the committee
will begin hearings on these various
bills with the view to reporting some-
thing as early as possible. The western
interests will be extensively represent
ed: delegations are expected, on both
sides OF the question. from all the arid
pr semi-arid states and territories