El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-02-16
SecretaryLane Says He Will
Not Approve One Bigger
Than Eighty Acres.

= lGHTY acres viii be the largest
farm unit that will receive ap.
proval at his hands under an ir-
Iigation project, says secretary of the
interior Franklin X. Jane He says he
raLner prefers q 40 acre unit and that
the projects showing the best returns
from the land are those where the
unit is smallest. The secretary says
ne 1aVOrs the extension of time to
Nv enIy years in which payments for
me construction of the projects may
DC made, but he is not in favor of ex-
tension OF time to men who do not live
on the land and are not cultivating it,.
BE says on the completion Of the vari-
Gus projects, ne win appoint boards to
audit all the costs and the water users
VIII be given chance to interpose OBJ
lecung TO any item that may be con-
s-oercd by them as too expensive
Ihese statements are all set forth in
letter to the water users of the cOun-
", Just received by 7. NJ Lawson pro-
lect engineer of the Elephant Butte
oaInr which he is mailing to all per
sons having land under the project. In
part il says:
1t may be true that hitherto the gov
eminent has expected too much of
water users, and II may be equally
true that water users have expected
100 much Of the gOVerrInrsst I would
zeal with You as you would deal with
another yielding nothing as charity
tut dealing together as men and broth
ers on the basis of what is reasonable
and Just. Though there may he some
among you who have hoped that event
nally the government would not collect
ITS due, I believe that most of you
have never entertained a thought of
escape from your obligations 10 the
government
Good Class of Men.
After personal contact with thou
sands of settlers on our reclamation
projects, I find that we have gathered
LoSether from all parts of the United
States a class of men and farmers
above the average in ability and in
lelligence; they are generally men Of
nlgh purpose self-dependent and de-
With the admission that the past
conduct or affairs has not been IN
qualifedly without error, and that fu-
ture policies are subject to correction
when found erroneous, 7 think we may
fairly proceed upon common ground
10 reason together to the end that we
may now agree as to what in the light
of present knowledge, appears to be /
Just and equitable, as between you and /
the government.
Is For Small Farm Unit.
The most difficult duty imposed upon I
the secretary CT the interior is that of I
determining the area of land neceS-
Eary for the support of family"
BY law and by traditions 100 acres /
nave been considered necessary for the Z
support Of a family in the United /
States. But land was plentiful when :
This unit was established, transpOrta-
farm life burdensOme- Seldom in the
pioneer days was a quarter of the 100
acres farmed- There was the wood lot,
the pasture and the fallOw ground
Even fin humid regions good farm prac-
rice retired One-half the cultivated /
area each year for recuperatiOn by
sumner following. So that 100 acres !
% land even in the humid prairie re
gions was equivalent to an annually 1
farmed area Of only so acres.
so Acres the LimEhit.
must therefore decline to yield to
the demand from many quarters to
land In no case win approve greater
than so acres, except where existing
contracts with private land owners
made previous to my incum bency have I
been made upon a larger basis. The
30 acre farm unit viii be fixed only in
hose regions where climatic, soil and
market conditions make so large an
lTea appear to be necessary, and even
n such regions 40 acre tracts lying
lear TO towns or prospective towns
IRE deemed ample for the support Of a
.amily.
One great need Of agricultural re-
yions is agricultural Iaborers and arti-
sans If possible I would establish a
few five and ten acre hOmesteads for
such to relieve them Of the disadvan-
-ages Of tenantry and to encourage
hem to settle in the vicinity Of the /
arger farms
Big Fnrm Troubles
The man who undertakes to pay
he cost Of retaining 100 acres must I
needs be man OF large capital to I
start with. Less is required for so
md still less for 40 acres, so that as
he size of the farm unit is reduced. /
he number Of families on the land (
nay be increased. so also is reduced
ne amount Of capital required of that
amily to start with and through :
arger population making easier many
y the problems Of pioneering.
In those fertile ana nCSpltable south
s almost continuous there is no de-
ence whatever for farm units in ex- ,
.Css Of 40 acres.
Though I am convinced that the
arm unit should not exceed so acres
IN any reclamation project It does not ,
.ppear to me to be just that entrymen :
3 no filed on government lands sub I
Get to the reclamation act should be
compelled to surrender their holdings {
n excess Of the established farm unit
Without compensation :
Must Sell Excess Lands.
BY this means every man who now
laims 4 quarter section could retain =
so acres for one year after successfully
"a king final proof, but If the survey I q
made four farms units Of these $50 q
Cres, he should be required within one +
ear to sell three Of those units These :
irrigated lands are valued at $50 TO /
100 per acre. If sold at these prices =
he entryman will have from $1,000 to a
1000 to invest in improvements on p
he unit he retains. =
No Justice IN 100 Acres y
There seems TO be no justice in the .
emand 10 permit patent to be issued
or 100 acres. To do so would encOu
&c. speculation and the withholding E
{ irrigable land from cultivation. r.
COllectcing the Payments. Il
Cost of operation and maintenance Il
a subject so vitality connected with Il
ze Of farm units that il must be con- J u
.dered in connection Herewith. n
# authority shall be granted by con- 1