Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-16

necessary TO support homcsteadcrs and
me 'atter withdrawn from entry on
'irciy. to be leased for grazing pur
poses. '
To Stabilize the stock Bu,inc,.
such a proceeding would st,Liii,.
INC STOCK business as at present con
sttrted FOR under the present system,
stochman does no, know when his
range viii ne settled OF nv home
stead"fs The s,ockmcn say also TIM,
TINS course would save many a ho,,.
Aichdcr from wasting his time and hi..
money Oh land that could never sicid
MN an adequate return. On the otn.i
hand. the States with public lnrd H.
them have a strong sentiment in raw,
OF hoIncStcadine as much land as pos-
sihle. u $40 acres will not suppor, ,,
Ia! Ia'hiiy, the! say then give them -,
me Western states want homes, tn.
want taxable property dc,clopcd nu,.
new citizens 10 throw their Interests
IN with those OF the section All ~.
legislation I'm favor OF the rrazin.-
homestead has originated with Wcsl.
efh senators and Representatives. The
present Sio-acrc bill was Introduce
last year by the late Mr.. FERGUSON. az
New Mexico. and this year by Mr. T.,.
Tor. OF Colorado-bo,h States with in.
nrnse tracts OF public land
~ us relation TO tho emiGra,ion
problem, there is little doubt that :,
measure by which man could talk,
up 30 acres and farm az much OF i, ~
possible. using tho rest 70 run sheen
ana cattle. would prove very attracti,,.
20 we hones,eadcr. and turn man
eyes from Canada 10 our own West
y" Make Eighteen Legal Acc
Another bin which viii have tn.
sam" effect - one 20 max. {; po.sibI.
for "a bow OF girl OF eighteen TO tab,
up a nom. stead. The present mint
mG'u az" ~ twcuty-on. for auvbod,
VINO Is not tn" head OF Il family can
az" has law setting the minimum
age at eighteen, AMI many youn-
Americans have taken advantage Ur
IN" opportunity 10 start in life tire.
years earlier than is possible in their
own country The Canadian law 90
this respect is particularly liberal /,
provides that II the young homcstcad.r
iS living win his parents on e section
q! lanh adjoining the one he want. IL
homestead hc can live ~ home ano
stili fGlill the residence requirements
OF the homestead ACT
Under tho proposed Law in this couu.
Try. III" homcsteadcr win not have /,
begin living OH his or her claim urti!
he is twenty-ome years old. hut h.
cannot take out q final SEtcnt and pos
s"sS the land until he is twenty four
In other words all that he can do AZ
eighteen is pick ont his land and make
sur" that nobody else gets It He can
"f course, also liv. OF IL in the mean.
tim" II he desires, make a home. ana
improve II as much rs ne cares 20.
IN TINS way the bin is expected to
prove a strong supporter Of the back
To the farm" movement. \ boy with
100 or $40 acres of the great outdoors
for his own is not likely TO 90 to town
and 60; q JOB as ribbon clerk.
4 third bill. making more attractive
The demonstrating OF American land. j.
one which prov ldes for r yearly lcav"
o. absence for settlers on Unsurvcyed
land Our public land question has
some curious features. A large amount
OF the public domain has never bcen
surveyed. II is the law that settlers
can acquire preferential right TO such
land simply by making home on il
ard cul'ivating II. But the settler on
surveyed land has certain privileges
At tho end Of three years the land be-
longs TO him.
While he is fulfilling the residence
requirement he gets five months leave
Of absence in year
Must Wait for SURVEY.
The man on unsurveyed land has to
stay by il until the survey is made
He cannot get title in the mean
time All he gets is the FIRST right 10
file on the land within three months
after the survey is made. There is no
law saying how much or how little
time he can spend on ,hc land 50
most OF these settlers take no chances
and stay on continuously. There is
one man who has been waiting twenty
Ave Years for survey.
l.nder the pending bill. the settler
on unsurvcyeG land will get five
months leave each year Even so. the
man on surveyed land has the adNan-
taec OF him, because at the end OF
three years the latter owns his land
There is 10 doubt but that the as
poets OF the public land question have
changed greatly in the last Two or
three decades. The public land made
half the nation, and it is still vital
question in III. West. ON its proper
solution depends the prosperity OF a
great section OF the country