Holbrook argus., 1912-04-30
SPEECH OF HON.
 CARL HAYDEN
In Congress, Reducing The Homestead Period From Five To Three Years

in the United States is this legislation I more needed than in Arizona.
 As most of you are we'll aware, the larger part of the area of my State is desert land, and there can be no culti- vation without irrigation It is true that there are comparatively large sections where certain classes of crops can be grown by system of dry farming, but any land in Arizona will produce in greater abundance if the flow of some stream or the water from some we'll can be applied to the land.
 When the homestead law was first adopted it was applied to the lands Of the Middle West, where there was ample rainfall to produce crops. After the first year, when the prairie was once broken, the homesteader had an income from his land, and the amount of that income was generally sufficient to keep him and his family supplied with at least the necessities of life without any outside resources.
 But when the homeseel1er reaches Arizona he finds the conditions entire. ly different The rule there is that the settler goes upon the land in anticipa- tion of the building of some irrigation enterprise either by the government or by private capital.
 He takes up the land in the hope and oftentimes with an assurance that he will receive water for irrigation in the near future. But the best-1aid plans of Government engineers or of the manag subject to unforeseen delays. The uni versal rule has been that the water has not been put upon the land as soon as anticipated. The result is that the poor the requirements of the law, must either receive outside assistance in the shape of his own previously accumulat, ed capital or by loans to the limit oi his personal credit, or else he must aban. don his hope for 8 home and go else where to make livelihood, for the land upon which he resides absolutely will not contribute anything to his support without water.
 1 This bill, which reduces the time in which he may obtain patent from five to three years, will not only lessen the period of his struggle, but the further provision which permits him to be ab sent from his homestead for five months in each year will be of inestimable be- ty 10 go into other and more settled parts of the country and there. by his labor, accumulate the means whereby he can devote the remaining months o1 the year to the improvement of his land
 There are many places in Arizons where water can be developed, either by pumping or artisian wells, in su hcien, quantities to irrigate profitably Con siderable areas.
 But pumping plants and deep wells usually cost more than the limited capital which the homesteader has ir his possession If he can obtain title tt his land within short period, he comes that much sooner to the time when h' has an asset in the shape of real estat, upon which to borrow the money fol these most necessary improvements.
 We have been told that, by reason O the liberal homestead laws of the Do minior, last year 125, ,000 American ci tizens left the United States to settl, in Canada, taking with them millions o dollars of wealth. Arizona would vel come such an addition to her popula tion. We are developing our resource. so that we will be able to eccomadat, many times that number of people. We are storing the floods of the rivers; we are boring deep into the earth, and there finding the precious fluid that brings life to thirsty soil There are no fair CT fields to be found under any f1ae than can be found in Arizona.
 This change in the homestead law ii one of the best means of biverting tht great stream of emigration which i: now leaving the United States and al recting it's course into the States of tn, arid West, such as the one which fhavt the honor to represent.
 Twill close by reading from an edi torial which recently appeared ill th, Free Press, newspaper pub lished 1T Mesa, Arizona.
 It is as follows:
 THE HOMEsTBADER's DILEMMA
 It has been supposed for long tim, that the real intent of the origina homestead law was primarily to pro vide a means of furnishing the indivi dual not owning real estate an oppor tunity to aquire land on which to re side and to encourage him to cultivat, the same and become producer of tht