Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-06-03
More Than 100000 Square
Miles in New Mexico Would
Be Subject to Entry It Is
Stated,
WOULD TRANSFORM
NEW MEXICO RADICALLY
Next Census Would. Show
More Than Half Million Pop
u|ation in State, Is Conser-
vative Estimate,

The following statement was tele-
graphed to the Journal from WASH
ington by Senator Albert b. FALL
my bill amending the 640-acre
grazing homestead act, and providing
that all surveyed unreserved public
lands in the states of New Mexico,
Utah South Dakota and Arizona be
designated without further classifica-
ton or action of the secretary of the
interior as subject to the provisions
of the grazing and homestead act ana
that all entries heretofore and here
after made under such act shall be
received by the land office officials;
and that on proof only of residence
and improvements patent shall issue.
was offered by me as an amendment
to the food bill under consideration in
the senate, and it was adopted by a
vote Of Al to 10. The food bill is ex-
pected to pass today.
by reason of the large majority
vote for my amendment in the senate
/ feel hopeful that the house will ac-
cept it,"
politically and economically by the
enactment of the Fall amendment
throwing open to settlement lands of
E.r Meyico under the s40,sers4 actS
There is still some 10000 square
miles subject to settled entry in this
state and nearly equal to the area Of
Pennsylvania. One-fourth of this vast
amount is not yet surveyed, but squat
ters would take possession of it al
most Immediately.
Thousands of Entrymen.
The passage of the act would mean
the influx of thousands of prospective
entrymen. especially from the neigh
boring states of Texas and oklahoma.
who would help to make New Mexico
a part of the solid democratic south.
The free stock ranges. would pass
away almost over night, and only
those of the big stock men would sur
vive who have purchased sufficient
land to Craze their herds.
At present 1900 applications for $40
acre entries are pending in the six
land offices in New Mexico, and the
passage of the proposed act would
add 10000 more applications within
the next few months. The Santa Fe
and Las Cruces land offices even now
have insufficient clerical force to
handle the routine business ana
would he swamped the moment the
law got into force. The Las Cruces
office is reported to be 1900 entries
behind in its work at present.
Great Increase in Values.
Not sinca the settlement of Okla
homa has the west seen such rush
for land as would occur in New Mexico
If the Fall amendment became a lew.
The enactment Of this measure would
automatically stop all effort on the
part Of the state to secure further
public land grant for it's educational
institutions. the drainage Of the Rio
Grande valley, and the building Of
highways. On the other hand, the
value of the 100000 acres of state
land would increase by many millions
Of dollars. Nearly all of these lands
have been selected through the ef-
forts Of Land Commissioner r. P. En-
wien, and the state has had the pick
of the public domain, as its selections
were made after careful examination
of the public land not yet filed upon.
But very little is fit for agriculture,
much of it is second class grazing
land. and part of it is volcanic desert.
Three Classes of Entrymen.
The entrymen who will file on these
lands consist of three classes: A small
portion Of them are looking for tillable
soil on which to make a home; about
one-thrd of them want to take upl
$40 acres as a nucleus for small
stock ranch, while the greater num-
ber are persons who hope to prove up
on $40 acres and then sell at good
price.
The assassination of the late
Thomas Lyon of Grant county is said
to have been due to feud he had
with several 640-acre entrymen who
had sent him word that he must buy
them out If he wanted to keep his
range intact.
If the Fall amendment becOmesl
law the next census will show half a
million inhabitants in New Mexico
and an assessed valuation of half a.
billion dollars.
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