Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-07-14

tton of ownership Of timber land
areas in the United States is shown
in the following letter OF Commits.
sioner Of Corporations Davies to
President Wilson. It follows In part:
THE main fact shown is that 1854
timber owners hold in fee over one
twentieth Of the land area of the en-
tire United States from the Canadian
to the Mexican border. In many
states these 1854 own no lands at all.
In the 900 timbered counties investi.
gated they own one-seventh of the
area.
These 1884 holders own los, 6OO,-
900 acres. This ID an area four-fifths
the size of France; or greater than
the entire state Of California; or
more than two and one.half times the
land area of the six New ENGLAND
states. Sixteen holders own 47,SOO,-
E00O acres, Or nearly ten times the
land area of New Jersey. Three land
grant railroads own enough to give
Is acres to every male OF voting age
In the 8 western states, where almost
alls4heir holdings lie.
MI all this land is suitable for
agriculture. In the south and in the
Lake states and In part of the west
. large portion of it can be used for
agriculture after the timber Is remov.
ed. but IN many parts Of the west the
land is mountainous and adapted
chiefly to r~eforestation. Much of the
railroad owned land outside the tim.
Der regions is arid or semi-arid.
In the upper peninsula of Mich.
gan As per cent Of the land Is held,
mostly in fee, by 80 timber owners.
sAn$Ownership map of the peninsula is
given. In Florida So holders (mnostly
timber ownersl8 hold one.third of the
land ing the entire state.
Public Policy the Cause.
Lavish land grants and loose, i'll.
enforced land laws are the historical
background of the concentration of
land and timber ownership shown in.
this report. "A study OF the present
ownership Of 100000 r Of rail-
road, wagon road, and canal grant
lands, covering most of the granted
lands in the map areas, and a. little
elsewhere, shows that of these par
ticular lands, granted long ago to sin
gle corporations, apparently 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 grant
ees or their successors, or by large
timber holders. OF 82.5OO,OOO acres
granted to three western railroads in
the sixties, the roads still retained
40 per cent in 1910.
Moreover, the states appear to
have disposed of the various federal
grants made to them m suchea way
as to contribute to the concentration
of land and timber ownership. F16r.
ida is q striking example Of this.
Again, the public land laws, the cash
sale law (now r%epealed), the scrip
laws, and the homestead and timber
and stone laws operated, at least In
regions, to transfer govern
ment lands directly, OF almost direct
~, to great holders.
'Ninety-eight per cent Of the 1,5OO,-
600 acres comprised in the largest
holding in the lake states was
acquired in a wholesale manner,
chiefly from tracts disposed of by the
government through grants to the
or under the scrip and the
cash sale laws.
Economic Effects Of Concentration.
"This marked concentration in the
ownership of land has two important
aspects. The first is the concentra-
ton of control of the natural re-
sources, other than agricultural, in
the area comprised In these great
holdings. Besides its timber now
standing. part of the land must be