The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-09-22

of payments; fourth, the cancella-
ton of these Withdrawals for coal
and power sites which simply COW
cred agricultural land. These were
the most important matters.
The senator said in discussing
these matters: II shall not talk
long, for we only have a few mo-
ments left until the secretary has
to catch his train and 1 know that
you will want to shake hands with
him before he leaves. have
thoaght since l have been in con-
gress that a senator from Idaho
ought to be secretary of the inter-
Tor or the secretary of the interior
ought to be a senator from Idaho
But after hearing Mr.. Fisher
think we can accept the secretary
from some other state.
Mr.. Fisher Has Right Angle.
"This is the first time we have
ever heard the right view from the
secretary of the interior. l think
Mr.. Fisher has the right angle Of
vision. He looks at the matter from
the settlers and the home-builders'
standpoint and that is the true
view. Now, II he will do as much
to enforce the law as some of his
have done to annul it.,
we will get along splendidly with
Mr. Fisher. (Laughter). The big
difficulty heretofore has been that
the department has driven toward
strict construction against the man
who is out here putting in his all,
his time, his toll, in trying to de-
velop the country and make a living
for himself and family. The doubt
and the construction of the law,
enough, was always con-
strued against that man and never
for him. If I understand Mr.. Fish
er correctly, that Is to be changed,
and that is the correct view.
zone OF the first things we want
is to have this cruel homestead law
reduced from five years to two or
three year period. The man who is
out on the desert claim, working
hard, putting everything he has into
the ground in order to make a home
is bound with the cruel restrictions
of this unreasonable law to a five
year period of residence. say
there is no reason In the world why
residence should be required any
longer than a sufficient time to show
good faith, and a two or three year
period will show it. Our homestead
law was not drawn to meet ouI
present-day conditions. The Law
was passed away back in 1851. L
may have suited the conditions of de
velopment then, but not now. Al
the law works out, at the end o
Ave years the man is either finan
cially ruined and impoverished o.
else he was wealthy when he started
in. AS the law now stands unde
prevailing conditions, it is not TO
the poor man but for the man VIII
has means. We want the law 81
changed that 1t will serve the maj
of limited means and two or thre
years at the most is long enough.
Issuance of Patent.
Another thing we want is tina
patent shall issue as soon as tn
homestead period, whatever it ma,
be, has expired. We want the it'll
to pass to the settler as soon a
that time is up so that he may hav,
the benefit of his labor, an asse
upon which to do business. NJ
man In any walk or avocation II
life could do business If he did no
have the benefit of his labor TO
five years, and under the reclama
ton projects, maybe ten or fifteeI
years. This impoverishes the indi
vidual settler, retards the develop
ment Of the country and turns immi
grafton away from our state.
Graduated Payments.
Another thing we want is
sound, merciful system of gradu
ated payments which will give tn,
settler a chance to develop the LAM
and pay for 1t and at the same tim
leave the man enough to live on
The secretary has fully endorse,
this proposition, and 1t is vital
AS the secretary has fully endorse,
1t, l need not discuss it.