The chronicle=news., 1914-07-16


Lake States and in part of the West
a large portion of it can be used for
agriculture after the timber is re-
moved: but In many parts of thY
West the land is mountainous and
adapted chiefly to reforestation.
Much of the railroad-owned land out
side of the timber regions is arid or
|semi-arid
"ln the Upper Peninsula of Michi-
gan As per cent of the land Is held,
mostly in fee. by 32 timber owners
In Florida 80 holders, (mostly tim
bcr owners) hold one-third of the
land In the entire State.
Lavish land grants ana loose, Ill
enforced land laws are the historical
background of the concentration of
land and timber ownership shown in
this Re ort. A study of the present
Ownership of 100000 acres of rail
| road. wagon-road, and canal grant
lands. covering most of the granted
| lands In the map area, and a little
elsewhere, shows that of these par
ticular land granted long ago to
single corporations nj parently with
the idea that they would be quickly
sold to settlers, only Is per cent are
now distributed in small holdings.
Eighty-five per cent are owned by
the grantees or their successors, or
by large timber holders. or the S2.
100000 acres granted to three west
Iern railroads in the sixties, the roads
Istill retained 40 per cent in 1910.
1 Ctnta fn
have disposed of the various Federal
lgrants made to them In such n way
as to contribute to the concentration
of land and timber ownership. Flor
ida is a striking example of this.
Again the public-land laws, the cash
sale law tnow repealed, the scrip
laws, and the homestead and timber
and stone laws operated, at least in
timber regions. to transfer Govern.
ment lands directly or almost direct
Ily to great holders.
"Ninety-eight per cent of the L.
100000 acres comprised in the larg-
est timber holding In the Lake
States was acquired in a wholesale
manner. chiefly from tracts disposed
|of b" the Government through grants
to the State or under the scrip and
the cash-sale laws.
This marked concentration in the
Ownership of land has two important
asoects. The first is the concentra-
tion of control of the natural resOurc-
es. other than agricultural in the
area comprised in these great hold
inss. Besides its timber now stani-
ing. part of the land must be depend
ed on. together with the national for
csts. to supply future crops of tim
her. Furthermore, some of has val
liable resources of ores. oil, gas,
water power, etc.
The second is the possibility that
these holdings. which will form Il
considerable proportion OF the future
area used for agriculture in this
country. may be retained under coE-
centrated control, Formerly lumber
men often got rid Of their cut-over
land Mt nominal prices or let It 90 for
taxes. But as the agricultural pos
sibilities of such land have become
apparent this policy is being aban-
doned. large part of the present
cut-Over land is now of cons iderablc
value for t'llage. That part of the
present timber land which when de-
nuded will he arabic, Will have u
higher and higher value as land the
| longer the timber Is kept uncut; be-
cause If the timber Is held for many
ycnis the land when finally denudcI
will be in greater demand for agri-
| Ion
| the following potential effects upon
the public: High prices for land sold
to settlers, increase Of the tcnantry
system, or direct farming by large
corporations.
| The data obtained by the Bureau,
so far as land is concerned, are not
| sufficient 70 ra study of the land
problem as whole. They cover on
ly one class of owners. the timber
men. and only part OF the country
They show conditions only at the
time of the investigation. and do not
show whether the concentration is
increasing or decreasing They are
not typical OF present conditions in
agricultural communities, where the
average size of the holding is. of
course. much smaller. Though in
complete. these data are nevertheless
suggestive and worthy of serious
consideration.
Most of the land grants were
made on conditions. and 1t appears
that in many cases not all Of the
conditions We're complied with. The
Government is now attacking some
IF these grants for alleged violation
of the conditions imposed.
"The abuse OF the general land
laws in the past suggests that any
lands restored to the public domain
by these, or other, forfeiture suits
should not be disposed of under the
present land laws. To allow such
lands to he taken up by private par
ties before the revision of the public
la. nd lnw 1nfn nj n