The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-05-12
Stock Raising HOMESTEAD
Measure has Desperate
Struggle in Prolonged Com
mittee Sessions
BELIEVED CLEAR WAY
Is ASSURED AT LAST
New Mexico Congressman De
olares Measure will do Much
to Restore Meat Producing
Industry in West.

- ~ y
Washington, ID. c., May S.-Mr.
FERGUSON continues us efforts 10
force the passage Of his stock-raising
homestead bill through the house.
Thcer is 80 much formaiity required
before a law can be hnally enacted
that almost infinite delay occur often
before the house even reaches "a
measure for consideration one un-
acquainted with the routine OF logis-
lation, when he comes to investigate
aud learn the facts, is amazed at tho
%intricacies and difficulties Of the road
over which a bill must pass. when
opposed. before IL can become a law.
TIE bill must oe introduced and then
referred 10 a committee. often tho
burial place Tor thousands OF really
good measures. It's opponents begin
the fight Ia the committee and in the
privacy OF the committee room. u
often IL that the advocate OF u meas
uro needs the greatest resistance.
Killed there. that rs the end OF IT,
often the bill emcrgcs from the COM
mittee. SO loaded down with hostile
and Objectionable amendments, that u
is like Jacobs coat OF many coluys
These amendments are added iu many
Instances to destroy the efficiency of
the measure as Il was originally intro
duced. Mr.. Fcrgusson's bill has had
20 undergo all these trying tests. a.
WAS In the committee that Mr.. Fer
gusson made his greatest battle for
his 5fa-acrc stoCk-raising homestead
measure. Two competing measures
were before the committee. the Kent
leasing bill which proposed a leasing
of the pubic domain. In effect Ca
turn 10 over 10 the large cattle com
panies, while the Ferguson bill pro-
Josed 90 convert the puollc lands IA
20 homes FOR settlers. The bills were
a-ntagonistic IN their provisions and
the grazing men OF the country rallied
% very strong support for the Kent
measure. immense interests involving
money and personal advantage array
ed themselves against Mr.. Ferguson d
measure because 10 reported favor
ably 70 would take the place of tho
leasing bill. Witnesses re brought
70 Washington in favor ct the grating
measure and examined and cross-cN-
amined before the committee. Tao
procedure was like a great trial in
court ana b ran from March Sd 10
i'm Inclusive. MIR. FERGUSON stooa
during an these long. nard ngntins
days as The advocate OF the settler aud
homestcsdor Al tho cad of the CON
test before the committee his Oil va.
reported htvordbly and with amend
ments which mad II "a better meas
ure han Il war as originally intro
duced. The original measure limited
the right TO additional land entry to
hfing the acreage up 10 t section. tu
"a distance Of ten miles from the orig
inal entry. while the bill as reported
allows under certain provisions spe %
fled In the bill the acreage To ne taksn
any place within the land district.
II was proposed IN the Kent bill
that the public domain should Ue
leased ia large tracts and the less
might fence up the ANA and hold the
same for a series 81 years, hut during
that time % wac provided that home
steaders might take up lands within
the fenced enclosures. Tho advocates
OF the Kent measure argued that this
Was a sufficient protection for home
stead settlers. II was also ARGUED on
behalf OF the Kent bill hat Il Mould
Increase the p~asturage and tend also
10 increase. and therefore cheaper 10
consumers. the meat production OF
she country. Air. Ferguson yery
ably met all these propositions ana an
extract from the hearing BE- here given
60 show the strength OF his argument.
My bill will restore the meat pro-
ducing capacity OF this section OF the
United States, %(reiating TO the semi-
arid regionsl, which amounts To one
third OF the whole. ! will ask you
to take In mind a pasture, We Will
say $4,000 acres. That would enable
100 farmers 90 locate there, each with
$40 acres. II the farmer owned his
$40 acres and wanted Go improve q
with all the new ~dTy-grass seeds, AMI
with modern methods, and restore iis
meat producing capacity. do you not
think IL would be better Tor the gen
eral welfare, 10 say nothing OF The
advantage 10 the state Ia the matter
OF taxation, ana the building up Of the
community and inducing railroads TO
come in, and in establishing schools
and churches, don't you think the
general welfare would be- better pro-
NOTED u hat big area was leased out
10 100 farmers instead OF giving all
that $4,000 acres 20 n mani
Mr.. Pinchot replied 10 that as fol-
lows.
II think II would be very much bet
ter promoted; but Mr Ferguson a
vast majority OF the land 10 which
this bin applies Is OF such "a nature
that nubod can make "a home on 6iu
acres ana make a living out 90 a.
AIR. Fcrgusson answered as i1l-
lows,
II am speaking now from q verf
Intimate knowledge, pehaps not from
q scientific viewpoint, az some 90 you
gentlemen DO. but / believe that there
are many hundreds of thousands 81
Cties In New Mexico that are suitable
FOR these agricultural operations. :
have stacks OF letters aud telesrams
certifying Go these facts and : viii
submit them later. Many men in Ne~