East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-02-01

The East Oregonian is in receipt
Of the following letter from Senator
Jonathan Bourne, jr.:
Washington, d. c.. Jan. 25.-(Dear
Sir)-I am sending this general form
OF letter to many newspapers, oranges
and commercial organizations of
Oregon for the purpose of getting be-
fore the people the idea I have en-
bodied in a bill I shall introduce in
the Senate that production of crops
rather than residence upon a home
stead is the essential of successful
and most efficient development of
our resources. I have done this in
the hope that the people of Oregon
will favor their delegation here in
Congress with their views as to the
wisdom of the proposed legislation
am informed by Mr.. William
Hanley, an extensive stock raiser in
Harney county, that there are co.
100000 acres of vacant land in east
ern Oregon incapable of irrigation,
but nearly all of it susceptible of cul-
tivation under the scientific methods
now in vogue in dry farming" Mr..
Hanleys suggestion of substitution of
crop production for actual residence
as the consideration for obtaining IT,
tie increasingly impresses my mind.
II the bill which 7 have prepared
should become a law. the homestead
er on non-irrigable land in what is
known as the arid region need not
live upon his land at all but must
live within the state. He must culti-
q al f,-
resentative and he must show by an
nual proofs that within a period II
five years the land has produced crops
of a total value of $500.
Assuming that Mr.. Hanley's esti-
mate of 2O,000,O0O acres of vacant
land in eastern Oregon is correct and
that same can be brought under cult
vation by adoption of what is known
as dry farming" this area of land
would furnish opportunities for Co.
600 homestead entrymen who, be-
fore they could acquire title, would
be obliged to produce crops of a to-
tai value of S9O.OOO.OOO. Thus it will
be seen that the nation, state and
community would be benefited in the
development of our natural resources
wealth increased, and, what is more
important, a class of citizens gained
who would be obliged to produce
rather than merely live on the land
"a population Of workers.
In it's present condition and in the
present state of settlement and of
transportation facilities most of this |
land is not suitable for home-making, !
though it could be cultivated by men
who would make their homes else
where, or upon the land through |
only part of the year.
Ny bill is based upon the theory /
that II tract of land is made pro-
ductive it will provide some family |
with home even though that family |
lives in town near the land rather .
than upon the land itself, and that, |
therefore, all of the essential objects
of the homestead law will be accom-
plished. The great difficulty under
the present homestead law is that a
great many men who settle upon land
under the homestead act do as little
cultivating as the law will permit
and avoid as many as possible of the
governments requirements. and their
land is not made productive.
Believing that production is the
real essential, made that the most
important feature Of my bill. Land
suitable for "dry-farming" is fire.
quently such as a man would not
wish to make his home upon for
twelve months in the year, but the
present law permitting an entry on
32O acres requires actual residence.
and. believe, without accomplishing
any desirable end by such require
ment.
Under the plan proposed by my bill
an entryman under the 32O-acre
homestead act could keep his family
in any town Of Oregon, where his
children could go to school and all