Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-03-23
SHUTTING OUT
THE HoMESEEk ERS.

gives the entire situation in a nut
shell. 1t shows the writer TO be free
from bias or prejudice. and possessed
OF knowledge concerning our lands. II
is one OF the best common sense ar
ticles written on the subject:
The Standard rs in receipt OF an
open letter to Senator Pittman written
by Supreme Judge 7. a. McCarren.
The letter is too long for publication
in these columns, but it is devoted TO
objections TO the bill as it passed the
senate. Judge McCarren claiming that
the amendment providing for the sale
OF the lands at public auction will
open the door to land monopoly and ex.
OF moderate means.
AS we have before stated. it would
seem that those who are opposing the
bill are DESTROYS of its defeat, despite
all statements 10 the contrary. 1t is
difficult to see what other safeguards
could be thrown about the bill than
are already provided, granted that il
needs any safeguards at all. On the
one hand We are told that if the land
is SOLD ut auction TO the highest bid
der, the rich cattle and sheepmen will
gobble the whole works by outbidding
the poor settler or man of modest
bank account; on the other we are
told that to sell it all at a minimum
of SIPS per acre would bring about
much the same result, so II would ap-
pear that
We can and we can't; we will
and we won't;
We're damned If we do and
we're damned If we don't.
The only solution to the difficulty
as the Standard sees il is to inform
congress that much as we desire to
see the schools of the State benefit
by the grant of the land and however
much the State may need the revenues
that would be derived if the land were
in private ownership, We must decline
the gift with thanks, since we feel that
we haven't confidence in our State leg
islature to pass restrictive laws to con-
serve the bequest.
Judge McCarren makes the obscure
point" that under the operation of
the law as IT passed the senate il
would be possible for land Erabber,
were he so disposed, TO take up forty
acre tract in every county in the state.
Well, what of il? Who would be in
jured If such were TO be the result of
the bill? And of what use would a
forty-acre tract be TO a land grabber
in every county in the state. or for
that matter $40 acres made up of a
series OF such tracts in any one coun-
ty?
The trouble with all the arguments
made against the passage of the Pitt.
man land bill is that they are based
on the supposition that there yet re-
mains many acres of public lands in
this State that are suitable for home.
stealing. We would like some of the
opponents Of the bill to point out in
what section of the state these lands
are situated. II is all well enough to
talk about inviting settlers TO Nevada
TO take up lands and build homes, but
the naked fact is that we haven't any
lands left upon which homesteader
can hope to make living outside of
reclamation district II Is a waste
OF time to talk about the mistakes that
have been made in the past in dis.
posing of the public domain. We arc
willing TO grant all that Judge McCar-
rem says regarding the matter in
which all the streams of the state
have been located In strings of forties.
thus controlling the ranges adjacent to
water courses and sources. 1t was
early recognized that the man who
controls the waters of the state con-
trolled the lands. The water T.; all
now In private ownership and with il
has gone the virtual ownership of all
the adjacent lands. which are held
without the necessity of paying taxes
II is for this reason that we believe
that Senator Pittman is correct in
stating that these lands are only yauu.
able to those already owning the water
rights and will be purchased, If pur.
chased at all, by those who already
have lands adjoining.
Judge McCarren speaks of unappro-
priated stream sources and water
holes as ii such things existed plenty
In Nevada. II would be interesting to
have them pointed out. IL such
things exist in Nevada outside the i'm.
agination OF few writer's on news.
papers who have never been twenty
miles off of railroad In this state,
they have escaped the observation of
the ubiquitous sheep owner and cattle
raiser.
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