The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1914-06-05
At NATIONAL CAPITAL
Paragraphs on Important Coy-
.ernment Affairs.
IMMIGRATION TO CANADA
Homestead Laws. Prevent Com
bination. Doc. Cook.
The Tribune Bureau.
BY J. \. JONES

xoe xTIOuUe OuTedu.
By J. =. JONES
Washington, D. Cit has taken
the American government long
time to wake up to the fact that the
Canadian government has better
homestead laws than our own. aud
Tor that reason the Dominion has
been able to induce hundreds Of
thousands OF Americans to 20 into
Canada. One OF the provisions 10
the Canada homestead law allows an
eighteen year old boy to acquire a
home, aud the result Is that young
men under age have been taking up
the public lands of the dominion.
The proposition for homestead entries
BY minors has been gaining strength
In congress, and 1t received an
impetus last month when the western
governors 10 their annual conference
At Denver, went on record as unanl-
mously resolving that i've approve
the plan now before congress to
permit homestead entries by persons
over eighteen years OF age" The
Interior department and the agricul-
tural department have both strongly
endorsed the suggested legislation.
Since the secretary Of the interior has
been enabled to designate entirely
arid lands that cannot be Irrigated as
solasged' homesteads, enabling sett-
lers to secure 800 acres Of land
instead OF 160, there has been a
noticeable Improvement 10 conditions
Of settlers In sections Of the country
where grazing has been the principal
source Of income.
The change in the homestead law
by which settlers can acquire q title
10 three years has more than doubled
the entries throughout the United
States. During the fiscal year ending
June 80. 1912, the total homestead
entries throughout the United States
were -. 326, covering 4, 4,306,0 068 acres
Of land. The three-year homestead
law was passed June 8, 1912, and
during the fiscal year ending June 30,
1913, there were Ia the United States
81, 262 nnal homestead entries, cover
Ing more than ten million acres Of
the public domain.
At the investigation before the
senate 10 January, William J. White.
10 charge of the immigration move
ment to Canada, testified that 8OO,-
900 citizens Of the United States had
gone TO Canada to take up lands.
The United States has Just discovered
that the Canadian government has
been spending between $50, 900 and
$4,000 year IN advertising in the
states along the border, and the
greater part OF the money has gone
into the ''patent insides" Of country
nswspapers. Now since the horse
has been stolen, congress is going
around to lock the doors, to check
Immigration.
According to our agricultural de-
partment the cost Of producing wheat
in Saskatchewan Is fftY.flve cents pei
bushel on the farm, and sixty.two
cents {. o. b. cars. It has been
hgured out that the Saskatchewan
farmers last year realized fourteen
and one-eighth cents proflt per bushel.
And yet 10 the face Of the long
winters aud scarcity Of fuel In the
Canadian northwest, the clever
Canadians have coaxed away 800, ,000
farmers from the United States.
10 all this talk Of the republicans
and progressives combIning, an all
important matter is usually lost tc
sight. Several months ago President
Wilson outlined q plan for the people
10 vote directly for their choice fol
president. Since TEDDY" arrived
one Of the prominent progressives al
Washington has expressed himself te
the eject that the democrats will at
tend to 1t that a Law for di-ec!
primaries 10 enacted before the next
presidential campaign, and that II
will 20 framed that all parties will