The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-03-23
Let IT ALONE
Such il the Sentiment RexArdinS
Timber and StoneAct.
John McAlpine has Som ethinS to
say on the Subject.

| During q visit lately made by Mr..
John McAlpine of Duluth to WASH
ington, the committee on public lands
of the house Of representatives was
about to hold special meeting to
consider a bill to repeal the timber
and stone law, says the News Tri-
bune. In conversation with certain
members of congress MIR. McAlpine
expressed himself as opposed to re-
peal and gave his reasons at some
length. He was then urged by these
members to put his views in the form
| of brief. He did so and at the
proper time the attention OF the pub
| lie lands committee was called to 1t.
/ Here is what Mr.. Alpine said on the
subject:
"The parties who have been OPP
posed to the present land laws for
several years, are opposed for their
own special benefit and gain, not for
the benefit of the people at large or
the welfare OF the country.
"Among the several statutes dis
posing of public lands, the Timber
and Stone Act stands in class by it
self. When the disposal of the public
domain was first considered by the
q vernment, 1t was found that there
were vast tracts of territory that
were unfit for cultivation, and how
could those lands be disposed of so as
to contribute in the largest degree to
the welfare OF the greatest number?
That was the question that confron-
ted congressman when it enacted
what is known as the Timber and
Stone law.
Lands Held for Common Good.
at should always be borne In mind
that the government does not own its
lands as a private individual owns
his. 1t does not hold the public do
main as private proprietor holds his.
1t holds all the public domain for the
common good to be disposed or for
large and public ends. 1t does not
dispose of lands simply to get the
price of the land, but it has been
chiefly concerned in the disposal of
the lands to see to it that they shall
be made to contribute in the largest
measure to the common good of the
citizens at large.
Make Lands Taxable.
Congress decided that the best
way to do that was simply to throw
them open to purchase so that they
might be acquired by private owners
at price which would enable such
private owners to buy l60 acres and
no more, for each citizen OF the I'm.
iteG States to use said land for his
own special use and benefit by paying
to the government $3.50 per acre thus
making the lands In the different
towns, counties aud states taxable
revenue received from same to be useG
for building highways and roads, tt
provide schools, courthouses, etc L
these tracts are put into forest re
/ serves or kept out of the market from
I the public, it decreases the taxes from
those counties, towns and states ant
/ stops the general progress of tn,
/ country.
There are now about $4,000. 90,
acres of the public domain which
/ have been set aside fer forest re
serves purposes, there being no taxes
received on any of this large tract O
! the public domain. Ninety-thret
/ million acres or more have been per
: manently taken out of the market
which stops the progress of tn,
country, stops the building of road.
and schools, as the same cannot b,
taxed for any purpose. The towns
. counties and states and the middl,
. classes of the people suffer the loss o
; the revenue which should be received
from those lands. 1t is not the fed
eral government that is the loser.
Pioneer Can Open Up Country.
"Take our present land laws sine,
I they were first put on the statut,
! books and follow them up. The pic
I neer Is enabled to push forward, tax,
Z up the public domain as the law
8 allow him to do, by homestead, b,
! timber cutting or timber and stone
3 As soon as land is taken up ant
9 patent issued it becomes taxable AM
8 a benefit to the counties and town
3 which the same may be in. Be /
9 prairie country, desert country, O
3 timber the people have prospered
3 II the pioneer sells this land lie re
: ceives benefit. He may sell it, O