The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-08-25

the land with no intention Of bringing II
under cultivation and making IT their
home and the source OF their livelihood
They intended only TO pay the water
charge and do the least amount OF work
necessary 10 hold tho claim for a year or
two and then TO sell out At an advance.
They are SPECTATORS In disguise. Much
OF the reclaimed land Is owned. not by
the Government. but BY individuals who
have contra to pay the maintenance
charge In the hope OF selling at fancy
price and passing on the burden to the
purchaser
An cry for relief. but obviously all are
should deal most leniently with the genu-
Inc settler. but II should lay a heavy
hand on the speculator. whether open or
disguised. for his course OF action de-
feats the very purpose with which the
Government reclaimed the land, This was
TO have II brought under cultivation and
made the homes OF citizens. Some plan
must be devised By which the Govern
ment can help tho genuine settler. but
freeze out the speculator. The time
within which the genuine settler must
cost OF Irrigation may well be extended.
but not TO so long a period as TO restrict
the supply OF cash Tor further Tork OF
as settler should on tho contrary, be
shown no leniency and should forfeit all
rights whenever he defaults In any OF his
shown the private land owner who uses
Government work excuse for boosting
the price OF his holdings, II possible
means should be found OF eliminating him
In advance by requiring that title to all
land to be reclaimed shall vest In the
Government before work is begun or by
contract limiting the price and terms
at which his land shall be sold.
There yet remains the case of the Inn
pecunious settler who, though acting IN
good faith, lacks means TO see him
through the first year Of heavy expense ae
entirely or I'm part to delay In putting
water on the land, He may be able TO
pay his water charge and TO scratch along
on a hand to-mouth ba sis, but he cannot
bring himself and his farm TO their full
efficiency without capital The Govern
ment cannot be expected 10 lend MN
money directly but 1t can facilitate his
raising II, This can be done by creating
rural ba nks. where farmers would be ooth
depositors and borrowers. a clear RECORD
with the Land Office and the Reclamation
Bureau should establish a settlers credit
with such bank. Funds for farmers
loans might be swelled by placing postal
savings deposits In rural banks. as suG-
gested by Postmaster Myers.
What Oregon needs most Is settlers
to cultivate her undeveloped land. Idle
land Is worse than negation of develop,
ment. 1t Is mn obstruction for man VIII
far less willingly settle In an unpeopleo
wilderness than In well-populated coun-
try which has roads. schools churches
banks, telephones and offers Inducements
for construction Of steam and electric
roads Thus each settler draws more
settlers, and each unpeopled waste repels
settlers.
Mr Lane has shown that he has a cor
rect conception Of the problem before MN.
His heart Is in the West and he looks
at the subject from the Western stand
point He will find solution satisfactory
TO those who seek the progress OF oregon
And undoubtedly he will do as much
for all the mountain and coast States
as he does for Oregon.