Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-01-24

TO use, whereas Il ought 10 be as cheap
as the cotton fabrics. The time is ripe
Tor concentrated action and as presi.
dent Of the Willamette Valley league
would suggest that concerted action
be secured under the leadership Of
some such man as Edward A. Beals Of
the department Of agriculture at Port
land, TO whom I am indebted for the
foregoing suggestions.
Wagon Road and Land Companies.
1 would recommend at this conven.
tion that a committee be appointed
TO investigate and formulate a report
on what can be done to break up the
large holdings Of land by such corpora
tions as the Southern Oregon company.
and the various wagon road and mill.
tary road land grant companies in this
state which are one Of the greatest. II
not the very greatest, blocks to pro.
gress and development. These large
aggregations Of alien land ownerships
will neither improve their holdings
nor part with their title on any reason.
able terms 10 permit Of their improve
ment To understand how these lands
were acquired we shall have TO 20 back
to the time when the United States
government, with the policy Of devel.
oping the western states and particu.
larly the state Of Oregon, passed law
providing land grants for tho con.
struction Of 80 called military wagon
roads. Many Of our citizens and gen.
tlomcn here present are familiar with
tho results az FAR ~ benefits 10 the
state Of Oregon arc concerned. Those
directly interested In what is known NJ
the Coos Bay Military Wagon road, aud
those who have been % unfortunate
as 10 travel over that road, know
there is an apology due Webster Tor
teaning such a thing as a road, and u
viii take the present good roads move
mcnt years 90 reach the problem Of
transforming that parody Of a high.
way into any scmblancc u a mclium
of modcrn transportation. Yct u has
cost this state millions Of acres of ils
choicest timber lands and In place Of
a help % its development has been one
n the most formidable barriers 10 the
settlement aud srening up Of one Of
Tho choicest regions that lics out Of
.loora So Of the other wagon and mil.
Iiary road grants
Obstacles must be Removed
Tho development q Oregon can only
DO accomplished by removing the
creates, obstacles one by ono aud then
adopting progressive policies instead.
Never were public lands more clearly
obtained by fraud than In tho casa Of
somo Of thcso wagon road grants
Lanih worth milligns upon millions
wore obtained without any just 70.
turns 90 tho state. The schemers
'leared away a little brush, aud enough
'tumps 10 haul wagon through with
lut upsotting moro than twenty times
10 mile aud took every alternate
section OF land ION either side for ton
miles widh. Tho stolen property was
rapidly transferred from tho original
grantees Ia order 20 avoid suits 10 com
pei restitution 20 the government, those
acquiring knowing full well they had
ioyer compiled with the terms OF tho
yFaht As a result more than half the
county OF Coos Is now In tho hands Of
. Boston corporation Of which Elijah
smith was president. Tho policy Of
his company has been for twenty
years past 20 do absolutely nothing
'or tho development Of Oregon and
nay as little as possible into the state
,r county treasury, with tho seeming
10 retard tho development Of
The country as much as possible
MOnOpOlists Oppose Progress.
While Elijah Smith has passed away
The policies Of repression which he in
stituted sthl prevail. In this respect
the southern Oregon country is not
alone. Those in control Of other mill
.ary aud wagon road land grants Pur-
1e the same policy. Their lands are
not purchaseable nor attainabls In any
manner, and they control hundreds Of
thousands Of acres In many parts Of
the state, ono grant beginning right
here in Linn county. This policy OF
repression aud inactivity is pursued
by these large holders in hopes Of reap