The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1912-10-24

| err this three year homestead bill had
been signed, and that amendment
attached to the sundry civil appropria-
| ton bill as to be able to force 1t
through the house II the appropriation
bill went through. That amendment
provides that the homesteader may
prove up either under the new or the
old law and that he doesn't have to
elect or make choice under which law
| he will make proof; then If the home
steader comes to the conclusion that
he can do better under the new law he
may try it under that law. We did
the best we could with him. II he
comes to the conclusion that he can
go under the old law and do better I'M
der II he may do so. without giving his
notice of election, because the amend
ment which l submitted provides spe-
officially that his failure to elect shall
not prejudice his rights to proceed I'M
der the old law. And that became a
law: II went through on the appropria-
! ton bin and 1t Is part of the public
land law today. SO in this respect /
say the lady Is In error as to the facts.
Now, my friends, that is the exact his
| tory of the three year homestead
bin, and | submit 1t for the considera-
| ton of the people of this county as
to where the fault lies With refer
ence to the passage of the bill through
the senate l want to read just para
graph or two from the debate on that
subject so that 1t may appear In the
record This is the debate which took
place upon the bill during it's penden-
/ cy: / say
mr. President, In conclusion urge
that our public land laws are antiquat-
ed and out OF date. impracticable, harsh,
and sometimes cruel In their operation;
they discourage the bona fide settler;
they have practically driven from our
public domain the man with limited
means the man whose peculiar prov
ince 1t ought to be the duty Of the land
laws to serve. They have, as ] have
shown by the figures submitted, driven
thousands and thousands Of our best
citizens into repatriation. They leave
the homesteader at the time he ac-
quires title. II he ever does. stripped.
impoverished. discouraged. and ready to
sell at q sacrifice that which he has
so dearly bought by his efforts and
which he intended as his home These
laws do not help the government: they
retard the development Of the communi-
ty and they are unfair and unjust in
their operation toward the Individual
settler. When the defects are 30 appar-
ent, when the operations OF the law
are so confessedly unjust and unfair,
is It possible that congress. with the
same listless indifference and the same
supine unconcern which has charac-
terized 1t In regard to these matters
for so long. will permit the session to
close without remedying these defectsr
That expressed my sediment then and
1t expresses my sentiment now. Now
have drawn a bill which I have pend
ing providing for these timbered lands
especially. and providing that In these
heavily timbered lands the homesteadel
shall only be required to build his resi-
dence and give such evidence by that
of his good faith in order to entitle
him to patent after having resided
on 1t for three years. don't know
whether that bill can be passed Of
not No man dares to state to his
constituents or an audience that a bill
can be passed because of this senti-
ment in the east of which I have spok-
en-. And / only say to you that |,
should be as easy to pass 1t, II 1 keel
at the work, as 1t was to pass this
three year homestead bill. but whether
1t can be done or not Is a mere matter
to 1t to show that II is my intention
to urge it during the period an
there.
Now. one other bill with which | wa.
connected in the senate. You know
we have In the southern part of thu
state what are known as reclamation
projects. and under the law the settler
on these reclamation projects could no
get title to his land until he had PAID
the government the amount which wal
necessary to be paid for putting thu
water on the land This necessitatet
his remaining on the land without hi
title even from five to fifteen years
Not only did he have to reside ther'
during the five years residence period
but he had to RESIDE there without hi
title until he was able to pay for thu
water which was sometimes In tel
annual installments and sometimes O.
long as IL or 15 years. l drew bill
which permits him now to have hi
title at the end OF three years. pre-
serving q lien only for the unpaid pur
chase price to the government. Thu
was part OF the homestead law. AM
while 1t does not benefit the north
as I said few moments ago. 1t Is on
, OF those matters which tends to the up
building Of the state. In connection wit
this also l mad the honor to draw ,
bill providing for the loan of twent.
MILLIONS of dollars to complete thes
reclamation projects. Now. I say m!
friends. that Governor Hawley said tn
night before last that this did no
amount to anything for the reason tina
1t was simply a loan which the set
tier would have to pay back. That !
true. the settler pays back that amour
which the government expended for tn
putting Of the water upon the land; tina
is part of the old law, but the diff
ficulty was when we drew the twent,
million dollar loan bill that the govern
ment did not have the money witt
which to complete these projects. be
cause 1t was limited to the public lam
fund. and therefore the settlers wer
simply waiting year after year for tn
, completion of the project and unabl
. to get water upon their land, and
was forcing hundreds OF settlers of
of their land after they had lived ther
two ar fhree Years So we secure