Las Vegas optic., 1914-09-29


ed New Homestead act, which is less
exacting as to the period Of residence.
covers shorter term, but which re-
quires that at least one-eighth of the
land shall be placed in actual culti-
walton by the entryman each year.
This bill was not introduced bv Mr..
Ferguson. although it may be pos
sible II received his vote. II so he
can hardly claim any credit for it
from the citizens of New Mexico. upon
the ground that it makes 1t easier to
procure title. In large portion of
this state actual irrigation is essen
tial 10 cultivation and successful
cropping of our lands. All of that
land can be entered under the so
called desert land entry act, which
requires that at least one-eighth of
the land shall be placed in cultivation
before patent shall issue. This new
homestead bill, to which you undoubt-
edly refer, requires that one-eighth of
the land shall be placed in cultiva-
ton each year for three years, and
where irrigation is necessary the bur
den imposed upon the homesteader is
greater even than the desert land act
imposes, and is immeasurably greater
than was imposed under the old home
stead law. If the law is good, no
credit flows to Mr., Ferguson, and so
far as New Mexico is concerned the
law does not possess the qualities
which you ascribe to it of making it
far easier for the homestead entry
man to secure title to his entry The
fact must be that the old gentleman
lost sight of the conditions which
really obtain in his bailiwick, and
permitted democratic congress 10
actually impose greater burdens upon
the poor homesteader in New Mexico
than were ever imposed before.
"You say that he is now in fair
way to get through a bill to entitle
the homesteader TO take up enough
land of that remaining in the public
domain, upon which he can make a
comfortable living. You undoubtedly
refer to his so-called section home
stead act. This bill has been intro
duced in congress; it has languished
in the committee for nearly two years
and no better illustration of the ineff-
cinecy of the man could be produced
than the fact that he has introduced
this bill and has never been able tC
get it out of the committee. / suspect
there are score of pages, running
errands for the members of congress
} who could get their friends to intro
: duce bills7for them. Anybody can dc
it but it takes live, active, forcefu
man, to get his bill through congress
: 1t is the passage of the act that meas
| ures the power of the man. The mere
: fact that he has introduced the bill
spells nothing. The fact that he ha:
not been able to pass the bill, If il
is a good one which we are not dis
oussing. tends to confirm the complaint
Of his lack of efficiency
"Mr. Ferguson has introduced a
bill to relieve the entryman of the
mining claim from the burden of ex
pending $100 for assessment work
during the next 12 months. He intro
duced that bill after the republican
convention in this state included ir
its platform plank, pledging our con
gressman to do this, If elected. 1t is 6
positive calamity to delay by 1:
months the development of our min
ing resources. Such an act was pass
ed once before and that was durins
the panicky times of Mr.. Cleveland
! administration The unwisdom o
democratic policy has made our coun
try so hard up that the mining mel
could not find the money to carry Of
their development work. In spite o
your European wars and strife
abroad, the stringency of the none
market today has made the burden G
this development work unbearable i
! many sections of our state, and tn
necessity of such II measure is in
posed upon us by the same line {
: public policy which made it necessar
5 before, and. Mr. Ferguson has helpe
along those policies by consistent
:, voting according to the dictates {
the democratic caucus, but he has nj
passed his bill. he has merely intr
duced it. He has helped to bring abo,
the conditions making such a relit
: measure necessary. but he has NJ
been able to put through the reli,
% measure The same page who couI
~ procure the introduction of his HON
a stead bill could procure the introdu