The Washington times., 1907-12-03

'Nt--AN RNl pOSt OF the Government IN con-
necuon with the Reclamation Service
hSs been to use the water resources OF
the public lands for the ultimate great
est good Of the greatest number; IN
other words. to put upon the land per
Hahent home-makers, to use and de-
Velop 1t for themselves and for their
children and ehiIdrcn's children.
Ihere has been, OF course. opposition
10 this work; opposition from some IN
O.. terested men who desire to exhaust the
lard for their own immediate profit
without regard 90 the welfare of the
next gereratiG- and opposition from
honest and vell-meaning men who did
not July understand tho subject or who
did not look far enough ahead This
opposition IS, 1 think, dying away. and
our people are understanding that Il
would be utterly wrong TO allow few
individuals to exhaust for their own
temporary personal profit the resources
which ought TO be developed through
use 50 as 10 be conserved for the per-
manent common advantage of the peO-
Pie 0s a whole.
Prosecuting Land Frauds.
The efforc Of the Government to deal
with the puolic land has been based
upon the same principle as that OF the
Reclamation service. The land law sys-
tenn which was designed 10 meet the
the needs Of the fertile and well-watered
regions OF the Middle West. has largely
broken down when applied to the dryer
regions OF the Great Plains. the noun
tains. and much Of the Pacific slope.
where a farm Of 100 acres Is inadequate
for self-suppOrt In these regions the
system lent itself to fraud. and much
land passed out Of the hands Of the Gov
eminent without passing into the hands
of the home-maker
The Department Of the Interior and
the Department Of Justice joined in
prosecuting the offenders against the
law; and they have accomplished much,
while where the administration Of the
law has been defective It has been
changed. But the laws themselves are
defective. Three years ago a public
lands commission was appointed TO
scrutinize the law. and defects, and rec
Ommend a remedy. Their examination
specifically showed the existence Of
great fraud upon the public domain. and
their recommendations for changes IN
the law were made with the design Of
conserving the natural resources Of
every part OF the public lands by putting
il 10 its best use
Especial attention was called to the
prevention Of settlement by the passage
Of great areas Of public land into the
hands Of a few men. and 20 the enOr-
nous waste caused by unrestricted graz
ing upon the open range.
The recommendation Of the Public
Land Commission are sound for they
are especially i'm the interest Of the act
ual hOme-maker; and where the small
hOme-maker can not at present utilize
the land they SrOvide that the Govern
ment shall keep control of il so that il
may not be mOnOpolized by a few men.
The Congress has not yet acted upon
these recommendations; but they are
so just and proper, so essential to our
, National welfare, that I feel confident.
if the Congress will take time to con
slider them. that they will ultimately be
adopted.
Preserve Grazing Lands.
Some such legislation as that pro-
posed is essential in order TO preserve
the great stretches Of public grazing
land which are unfit for cultivation un-.
der present methods and are valuable
only for the forage which they supply.
These stretches amount IN all to some
800. 10000 acres. and are open to the
free grazing Of cattle, sheep, horses,
and goats. without restriction. Such a
system, or rather such lack Of system,
means that the range IS not so much
used as wasted by abuse.
AS the West settles the range be-
comes more and more Over-grazed-
Much of It cannot be used to advan-
tage unless II Is fenced, for fencing Is
the only way by which 10 keep In check
the owners Of nomad hocks which roam
hither and thither utterly destroying
the pastures and leaving a waste be
hind so that their presence is incOm-
patible with the presence Of home
makers The existing fences are all IL
legal. Some OF them represent the I'm
proper exclusion Of actual settlers, ac-
tual home-makers, from territory which
IS usurped by great cattle companies.
Some Of them represent what is in it
self a proper effort to use the range
for those upon the land, and to prevent
its use by nomadic outsiders.
All these fences. those that are hurt
full and those that are beneficial are
alike Illegal and must come down. But
IL is an outrage that the law should
necessitate such action on the part Of
the Administration The unlawful fenc-
must be stopped. but the necessity which
CccasiOned II must be provided for. The
Federal Government should have con
troll of the range, whether by Dprrnf.
or lease, as local necessities may de-
teTmine. Such control could secure the
great benefit Of legitimate fencing while
at the same time securing and promot-
ing the settlement Of the country.
Would Help Settlers.
In some places It may be that the
tracts OF range adjacent to the home
steads OF actual settlers should be al
lotted to them severally or in common
for the summer grazing OF their stock.
Elsewhere IL may be that n lease sys-
tenn would serve the purpose; the leases /
20 be temporary and subject to the rights
Of settlement. and the amount charged
being large enough merely 20 permit OF
the efficient and beneficial control OF
the range by the Government and OF
the payment TO the county OF the equiva-
lent Of what it would otherwise receive
IN taxes. The destruction OF the public
range viii continue until some such laws
as these are enacted. Fully 10 prevent
the fraud In the public lands which.
through the joint action Of the Interior
Department and the Department Of JUS
tice, we have been endeavoring to pre-
vent there must be further legislation.
and especially a sufficient appropriation
20 permit the Department OF the In
terror to examine certain classes OF en-
tries en- the ground before they pass into
private ownership.