Arizona republican., 1919-12-03

steads. He contended that some such provision was necessary to prevent speculation in lands, and to prevent large bodies of land from getting into the hands of single owners, who might rent them or let them lie idle. This idea of prohibiting man to sell his homestead was opposed by the con- servatives of that day on the ground that it was an infringement of the right of private property.
 The situation is much the same to- day. The more radical measures pro- vide that the government should re- claim lands and give them to settlers as fully equipped farms on some long
 time payment plan, but without the right to sell them, the title to the lands remaining always in the govern ment. But this principle fails to find adequate backing in congress, and the Lane bill, which contemplates the sell ing of the farms outright, is the only one that commands much support. It is notable, too, that back in the forties and fifties the farmers of the middle west opposed this land reform movement on the ground that it would produce too many farmers, and so lower the prices of farm products. And they are opposing land reform on the same ground today. This shows how little the main centers of interest in the country have shifted in half a cen tury. The chief difference in the po- litical outlook is caused by the grow ing strength and confidence of labor The propaganda carried on by Evans, Greeley and their associates finally resulted in the passage in 1862 of the Homestead law which was signed by Abraham Lincoln, and which embodied the general principles upon which we have acted in the disposal of our public lands ever since.
 This law did not really embody the principles for which Evans and
 Greeley had fought at all It gave the homesteader the right to sell his land. | and in fact opened up an era of enor- | nous speculation and much fraud Subsequent acts enabled men to take up also timber. stone, coal and mineral lands. There was a time when one individual could acquire 1120 acres of | government land in his own name un- | der various laws. Also, after residing | for short time on a piece of land d | man could sell release" to someone l else. All of this made it easy for in | dividuals to acquire great areas of | agricultural, ii m Der and mineral l lands, which they held for speculative purposes.
 Nevertheless, the homestead law did | much good for the time being If it permitted a great deal of speculation
 and fraud, it also enabled many bona
 fide settlers to obtain valuable farms. l 1 nd taf,t
 vided that outlet for surplus national
 energy which was so badly needed.
 About 1880 it began to be realized even by congress that our homestead laws were less than perfect. and they were modified, but by that time much of the damage had been done. Nearly all of the good agricultural land had already passed into private ownership In 1900 began the last epoch in the
 story of the national lands-that of
 conservation. Theodore Roosevelt was
 notable leader of the conservation
 movement, and his strongest claim to
 the gratitude of the American people
 rests upon his work as conservation
 ist. As result of this movement, the
 national forests have been set aside 1 assuring the people of an adequatt
 timber supply, and of splendid free
 playgrounds for all time. The western
 coal lands have been kept in the hand:
 of the government, and will be de. veloped by 9 leasing system under government supervision. The grea
 natural resources of Alaska have beer kept under government control to z considerable extent
 Thus the problems of coal and tim. Der have been in measure solved A
 least these resources have been safe
 guarded. It is the agricultural land
 which present the greatest and tn, most difficult problem. Only the grea organized power of government seem able to convert our remaining arid swamp and cut-over lands into pro ! ductive farms. The individual settle cannot begin to contend with the task
 The labor department urges that thi D necessary work of reclamation be don ] as soon as possible so that opportunit, I may be substituted for unrest.