The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-08-12

| - les4uehce, built harm
'arse enough for eight horses. cpItivat-
GU twenty acres and fenced sooa
poi'ioh OF his land. In order to carr
noney TO make these improvements he
secured position in a neighboring
uoMh' ana at time when his wife ana
hl'le enid We're absent from the claim
contest was entered and the denart
iheht decided that the entry shouid ha
canceiled' because of lack of continuops
residence, which gave preference rtgbt
VI entry TO the contestant. The saw
ihss OF many years was thus lost re-
sardless of the fact that this entry
man was spending as much time ON the
iaho as possible, in view of the fact
mat he had to earn money at wages
TO make the improvements.
In another instance which came to
my attention young man had gone
up on the mountain side and taken
up dry land homestead. No water
Tor domestic purposes was obtainable
nearer than two miles 1t was also
necessary for him to go away to earn
money to improve the place. and dur
Ing his absence a special agent of
the government entered a protest be-
cause of lack OF continuous residence
and aupon his report the entry win
doubtless be cancelled and thrown back
on the public domain. l am told that
there are many such instances. and
that frequently entrymen are treated
as criminals, regardless of the fact
that they are doing everything possi-
Bile to meet the rigid provisions of the
public land laws, requiring residence
regardless OF the necessity of them
leaving the claim, In order to earn
money to improve it.
Under the desert land law title is
given for an expenditure of one dollar
per acre each year for three years
and the placing of water upon a por-
ton of the land. Where 1t is q physi-
cal impossibility to secure water for
domestic purposes, title should be
given after three years cultivation of
the land without residence.
"Under the homestead law residence
Is required to the exclusion of a home
elsewhere, with little regard to the
amount of land cultivated. The gov
ernment should be more concerned in
regard to the cultivation of the land
and less in regard to the actual resi-
dence where 1t is impossible to secure
water for domestic purposes. Under
existing conditions the dry farmers can
have no schools, churches, or commun-
ity life. They can not raise q garden
nor have a COW, nor horses unless they
are equipped to haul water and hay
and grain for feed. After the land is
once cleared there is nothing to be
done excepting to seed the land in
the fall, harrow it and harvest the
crop, and yet the law requires that
the entryman must remain upon the
land for seven months out of each year,
regardless of these facts. A great
many prospective entrymen decline to
enter the dry land when they learn
that residence is required, as they real
lie the hardship which would be i'm
posed upon their wife and children.
"If law is passed permitting the
cultivation of the land instead of resi-
dence as an evidence of good faith,
every acre of land that can be culti-
waited by the dry farm method will be
entered within a few years. and be
placed upon the tax list. The popula-
tion of the state will rapidly. increase
and hundreds of thousands of acres
which are now idle will be in cultiva-
ton bringing great wealth to the
state.
Another law which will endeavor
to have enacted at the next session
of congress is one which will author
ize eighteen year old boys to initiate
an entry on the public domain with
the provision that they cannot secure
title until they are twenty-one years OF
age. Every ambitious boy at about the
age he graduates from the high school
It. 10
to begin planning for the future, and
If he could secure the benefits of the
public land laws he would be more apt
to remain upon the farm, otherwise
many of the young men seek employ
ment in the towns and cities. We have
heard much in the last few years con-
cerning the "back to the farm move
ment," but statistics show that COM
paratively few men leave the towns
and cities for the farm, so that 1t Is
important that congress should enact
laws which will encourage the young
men to remain upon the farm The
government is perfectly willing to ac-
cept the young men as soldiers and
sailors at eighteen years of age, and
why should there not be extended TO
them this opportunity of securing a
foot hold on Uncle Sans domain with
out being required to walt until they
are twenty -one years of age.
The crop conditions in the eastern
section of the state are very salts
factory, especially in irrigated sections
The dry farmers in Fremont county
are jubilant over the prospect oi
splendid crops. 1t has been demon
strated that further south the faI
sowing brings better results than the
crops planted in spring.
1 found much buildiRg activity IN
Montpelier, Preston, Pocatello, Idaho
Falls. Roxburg and Rigby. the county
seat of the new county of jefferson
In all the towns splendid garages are
being erected, indicating that th<
automobile has come to stay. 1t II
surprising the number Of machines tha'
are being purchased in even the small
err towns and villages throughout th'
eastern part OF the state. larg'
proportion of the farmers have already