Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-10-17
FRENCH SPEAKS
OF LEGISLATION
ON PUBLIC LANDS
Large Audiences Greet Con-
gresham at Cambridge
and ale-Legislative
Candidate Out for Borah.
Capital News Special Service)

Capital News Special Service)
Midvale. Oct. 17.-Congressman
French spoke at Cambridge to a SPLEEN
cid audience yesterday afternoon and
at Midvale to large audience last
night. Candidate for Representative
Ryan came out strong in favor of the
return of Senator Borah to the United
States senate.
Mr.. French spoke especially Of land
legislation during the recent session Of
congress. He spoke in part on this
question as follows:
Land Legislation.
There were numerous questions that
engaged the attention of the recent
congress that were Of world wide in
terest and their decision will determine
the policy of government and the rela-
tion between this country and foreign
countries for decades to come.
II think you understand fairly well
my position upon these various prob
lens. There is one question. however
of more modest character to which
wish briefly to refer. The great west
ern country, stretching from the Mis-
sissippi valley to the Pacific coast, is
today covered with millions OF homes
with prosperous cities. with school
houses and churches that stand as bull
warks of our civilization, and nearly
all that has been attained in the de-
velopment of this great west Is the re-
suit of the land laws of the United
States.
1.-The homestead law was signed by
Abraham Lincoln. 1t has been the
instrument for nearly half a century
of providing the basis for a home fol
hundreds of thousands of people who
make up the citizenship of our west.
ern states. Through this law and other
land laws the best lands have already
passed into private ownership, an6
during the last few years we have
witnessed an exodus of our people t.
the Dominion of Canada, where more
reasonable laws offered inducements
to the home builders.
IT regard as one of the greatest &C.
complfshments OF the recent congress
the passage Of the three-year home.
stead act and ! believe that this act
will be the means of giving to tho
home builder throughout the west op.
portunities that will enable him tc
make success instead of failure, to be.
and to take his part at the earlies
possible time by the side OF those wht
have already established homes in the
western states. This law is not per
feet. 1t is not as perfect as 1t wa.
when it was introduced by Senator
Borah. We had a very hard fight t.
advance this measure through tn,
congress. The east does not under
stand the west. We needed to con
vince the eastern members of hous,
and senate of our western conditions
We needed to call upon you people t.
write to your former representative
and senators and urge them to sup
port the bill. We needed to compro
mise in some places in order to pas
the measure through but finally i
was passed and approved by Presi
dent Taft, and it was proud momen
for me and for the other members o
congress who had labored for it,
passage when the executive signature
WIS affixed.
II understand that In some section
OF the west the law does not furnisl
the relief that is demanded. This 4
especially true in timber regions an,
regions where there is great under
brush where the cost of clearing Is al
expensive item and the Requirement
Of the law that a certain amount o
cultivation shall be made every yea
is working hardship.
1.-THE secretary of the interior 4
given discretion in the matter of sub
shutting improvements of other char
acter in lieu Of cultivation, but
want to say here and now that II II
his discretion he cannot see the prob
lem from the western standpoint suf
Aficiently clear to furnish the relic
that IL demanded, we propose to urg'
an amendment to the law fixing