The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-07-13

moved; but in many parts of the west
| the land is mountainous and adapted
chiefly to reforestation. Much of the
railroad -owned land outside of the
timber regions is arid or semiarid
In the upper peninsula of Michigan
As per cent OF the land is held, mostly
in fee, by 80 timber owners. In Flor
ida 50 holders, (moStly timber owners)
hold onethird of the land in the entire
state.
Lavish land grants and loose. ILL
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 acres of rail-
road, wagon-road and canal grant
lands covering most of the granted
area, and little elsewhere shows that
of these particular lands granted long
ago to single corporations apparently
with the idea that they would he
quickly sold to settlers. only Is per
cent are now distributed in small hold
ings. Eighty five per cent are owned
by the grantees or their successors, or
by large timber holders OF 80, SOC, 900
acres granted to three western rail-
roads in the sixties the roads still re-
tanned 40 per cent in 1910.
FLoRIDA'S EXAMPLE
Moreover. the states appear to have
disposed of the various federal grants
ma de to them in such a way as to con-
tribute to the concentration of land
and timber ownership Florida is a
striking example of this. Again, the
public land laws, the cash sale law
(now repealed). the scrip laws and the
homestead and timber and stone laws
operated. az least in timber regions, to
transfer government lands directly or
almost directly to great holders.
NlnetN-c eight per cent of the 1000
600 acres comprised in the largest !
timber nolGlnS in the lake states was
acquired In wholesale manner chief |
ly from tracts disposed OF by the gov
eminent through grants to the state |
or under the scrip and the cash sale
This marked concentration in the
ownership of land has two important |
aspects. The first is the concentration |
of control Of the natural resources |
other than agricultural in the area
comprised in these great holdings. Be
SIDES Its timber now standing part of
the land must be depended on, toget he r !
with the national forests. to supply
future crops of timber. Furthermore |
some of it has valuable resources of !
ores. oil. gas. water power etc.
THE second is the possibility that |
these holdings which will form a con-
siderable proportion of the future area |
used for agriculture in this country. |
may be retained under concentrated !
control. Formerly lumbermen often |
got rid of their cut-oVer land q t nom |
inal prices or let it go for taxes But |
as the agricultural possibilities of such |
land has become apparent this policy |
is being abandoned. A large part of |
the present cut lover land is now of |
considerable value for tilIage. That |
part of the present timberland which |
when denuded will be aragle will have |
a higher and higher value land the |
longer the timber is kept uncut; be
cause if the timber is held for many |
years the land when finally denuded |
will be in greater demand for agricuI- |
ture. Such a condition suggests the |
following potential effects upon the
public: High prices for land sold to
tenn, or direct farming by large corpo-
"a tons.
DATA NOT SUFFICIENT.
The data obtained by the bureau. so
far as land is concerned. are not suf-
fcient for study of the land prob
class of owners. the timbermen, and
only part of the country. They show
only at the time of the in
vestigatiOn, and do not show whether
the concentration is increasing or de-
They are not typical of
present conditions in agricultural |
where the average size
Of holding is. of course, much smaller.
Though incomplete, these rata are
suggestive and worthy of
serious consideration.
The abuse of the general land laws
IN the past suggests that any lands
to the public domain by these, |
Or other forfeiture suits should not !
be disposed of under the present land
laws. To allow such lands to be taken
up by private parties before the re-
vision of the public land laws has
been completed would be to lose much
IF the public benefit from their re-
covery.