The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1916-01-27
Tn0RMDER TELLS
MElnIGC Of $40
ACRE HOMESTEAD
University of Arizona Profes.
sor Discusses Law Recently
Passed by the House at the
Stockmen's Meeting.

FL Paso, Tex. Jan. 2T.-what tn,
Ferris G&O-acrs homestead Law mean,
to the stoekman was explained in de.
tail before the meeting cf tho Amer
can National Livestock association b,
Professor J. J. Thornber, OF the TINT
versity OF Arizona.
Professor Thornber spoke as fol.
lows:
The well know homestead act late,
back to 1862. and was the oyfgrowth
OF eighty years OF national experience
In disposing OF the pubic lands. II Is
recognized today az one " our great.
est laws. II hah given homes To mill.
ions OF people and was the means of
settling up the central and western
states quickly and with a splendid
class Of builders. II encouraged
thrift, Industry and self-reliance in
our citizenship. and has added mate
rally to the wealth of the nation. IL
gave in round numbers 233, 00O, 600
acres OF land in parcels OF 100 acres
each TO homesteaders during the forty
one years from January 1853 to jan
uark. 1904. This does not include
other means of disposins OF the pub
lie lands. ss grants. sales, timber claim
acts. school section reservations. otc.
The homestead &C, was based on
the sound principle that enough land
should be given to each settler To en-
able him To build a home ana live
comfortably by his labor.
In selecting homcsteads. settlers nat
urailv picked Out the best aud most
productive lands first. and this has
continued for more than forty years.
some years ago, the homestead act
was modified TO include $50 acres OF
certain types of land. since his
amount OF the kind of land that re-
maincd Nas considered necessary TO
support "a family properly. This re-
suited obviously IN more homestcads
being taken and again the selectiye
process continued. but u must he on
fcssed. the picking was getting rather
lean. With certain exceptions there
remains today "A still less pro luctivc
class ~ public land for homestead
settlement.
Recent experience has shown that
32O acres Of land OF the Kind tina, now
remains for settlement is not enough
10 support an average family, and 4, is
proposed In the Ferris stock raising
homestead bill now before congress-.
to enlarge tho homestead holding to
$40 acres. or u section of land. II
10 also proposed to give those who.
have already homesteaded this less
productive class % land permission to
Increase their holding to $40 acres.
rhis. with a proposed classification of
the remaining public lands. IL In brier
the substance of the Ferris land bill.
There still remains for homestead
settlement. or other means OF disposal.
500. 900. 600 acres az unappropriatod
ana unrcserved public domain This
land lies chiefly In the western and.
southwestern states. Water supplies
cannot be developed To !rrigntc this
arid cmpir. which Ia greater In cS-
teat than all the land that has been
settled under the homestead act. Th.
annual rainfall Is too scant and la,
certain-eyen for iry-farming opera
tions-eSccpt In conjunction with
stock-raiaing In certain favored parts.
Of the country. This land IL OF value
now therefore. and viii continue TO be
M for many years To come. perhaps
always. chiefly FOR stOck-raising pur-
poses.
For thirty-.vc years this Land has
boen known as 'open range II has
sraxed and o~ves-sraxed, IN sea-
son and out Of season. without any
restriction whatever. The most val
liable of the forage pl0nts-thc ones
grazed most and closest by stock
ave never been given opportunity