Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-03-14
P|TTMAN LAND BILL RECEIVES
THOROUGH GOING OVER At RENO
portion as they got the 5000. 900"

So far as he could trace il. Miller
observed. the bill originated with the
board Of regents OF the university. one
of whom was one OF the largest land
owners in the state. and the president
of that university, instead of tending
at home to the business he was pre-
sumably selected for. bad hiked to
Washington to press the bill as though
the people OF this state didn't know
what they wanted or were not i'm favor
of education. The effort TO advance
the interests of the university by at
lacking the public domain did not
meet with his approval nor did il ap-
parently meet with the approval of
many present. Why should anyone
who was willing TO work the land pay
a l0.cent piece for it? he asked.
Shall we turn Nevada into big
cattle ranch or shall we make il a
state OF homes?" he again queried.
Claiming that only diversified farm
ing and small holdings would build
up the state, he contended that the
land whose disposition was provided
age of So per acre, but that the 1000
900 acres had already been selected
by the cattle barons and all state
board would have to do was TO ratify
those selections.
The cattle companies will get the
choicest bits and control the rest" he
asserted. He had no fault to find with
millionaires and land grabbers. but he
found fault with the people who let
them get away with it.
IF my friend Bartlett and | had
had an equal opportunity we'd be
rocker than Rockefeller himself" he
said.
Leave the disposition of these
lands to the legislature? In the name
of God. would not leave anything to
Them" he beloved. and the audience
loudly signified its approval of his
words.
He claimed that the men who want
the land will dictate the appointment
of the state board and that the cattle
companies develop only what water
its cattle needed and no more
He concluded by saying: Let 1t
pass If il is right; kill il if ii is not
dead right. If we are going TO build
our university at the expense of the
homes of this state-that Is not right"
Governor Boyle. who followed Mr.
Miller, spoke dispassionately and SEN
sibly. relating that in the fifty years
since Nevada's statehood. 80 percent
of homestead entries had been relin-
quished because they could not live
up TO the requirements of the United
States government.
The governor then read a long tele-
gram from Senator Pittman in which
the latter stated that he wanted the
grant passed, but that he wanted 1t
done right. He believed that the peo-
pie of the state were intelligent
enough to place the proper safeguards
about the bill were any overlooked by
congress. The public auction clause
was included in every bill granting al
lotments of land to western states
since 1875. and there was no disposi-
ton in congress to change that idea.
He continued that the sale of the T.
100000 acres would benefit 5000 and
more actual settlers rather than the
twenty-seven land barons whom the
papers stated controlled or owned
most of Nevada's land.
Concluding the reading of Senator
Pittman's telegram Governor Boyle,
amidst great applause said: You
may take il as source OF gratifica.
ton or regret, but your activities have
killed the bill" and again. IF you
have as much energy as you have
prejudice you can readily find out
that Mr.. Millers statements are not
borne out by the facts"
And after advising his audience not
TO be destructive always. but to be
constructive. he said that the people
through its proper officers and the
legislature could be trusted to safe.
guard the bill.
l.. l.. Brown closed the meeting by
saying that he was neither n politician
nor socialist and contended for n
federal supervision rather than state
board TO dispose of the lands IL the
grant be made.-Appeal