New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-07-18
MAKE THE PUBLIC LAND PAY

The unTeserved public domain is
an reproductive asset. The largest
part Of the remaining public lands
is not adapted to agriculture, even
were they possible of irrigation. At
best these lands are capable of
carrying a limited number of cattle
and sheep to the section, the largest
area possible to acquire by one in
dividual under the present Federal
land laws and regulations.
Shall these lands remain under
Federal control it will become nee
essary to adopt a more liberal sys-
tenn for distribution to actual settlers
and users. David l.. Geyer of Ros-
" ell, former receiver of the y. ).
land office there, suggests that the
public lands be classified into home
stead units allowing the pasturage
value to govern the area of such
homesteads rather than the acre
age as under present laws.
This plan merits careful oonside-
ration. Applied to the unreserved
domain in New Mexico, it would re
cult in rapid and successful settle
ment Of "a large area that now pro-
duoes no direct revenue to the state
or the Federal government. A law
40 carry such a plan into effect in
tellgently would be beneficial in the
extreme.
SO far the Federal government
has not acted as though it cared
tlers or not. Nor has it shown any
disposition to treat the homesteader
with much confederation. He must
comply with the very letter of the
law and even fight for his rights
~ henever some ensious or unscru-
pulous contestant gets busy.
Whether the state could handle
these same lands If they were grant
ed to the state, to better advantage,
is also worth careful consideration.
The fear is often expressed that the
rich man always gets the better of
the poor man in state land transac-
rions; or that the state will favor
the creation of big landed estates,
leading to a Tenant system.
Here in New Mexico were large
cattle outfits only a few years ago.
They have about disappeared and
their going came about naturally
and quietly as the business in course
OF time became extremely unprofit-
able, II it ever was profitable. Many
people attribute their going to the
passing of the open range as the
homesteader began to take up land
on a large scale. But the big cattle
outfits on the plains of Texas also
hissppeared Just as quitely and many
of them owned large tracts of land,
bought at a nominal price from the
state. They quit, because the bust
ness did not pay. The capital syndi-
cate with it's 1000, 900 acres, headed
by the Far~ells some of the .hrew-
dest business men in America, long
since retired from the cattle
business. The fear that large COW
outfits will gobble all the state lands
IL largely ungrounded, because it
would be a losing game. The state
a and is helping to put the little
stoekman on his feet.
At the present time il seems to be
more difficult to reform the Federal
land system than il will be to obtain
grants for the public land
states. The situation is such that
some action is imperative to relieve
conditions. New Mexico is laboring
under heavy tax burdens, because SO
barge a part Of the land area con.
nothing directly to support
OF it's administration The United
does nothing to encourage
the settling Of these lands.
II the unreserved public lands were
pnder the control Of the state. re-
venue would be derived from leases
ind settlement would be encouraged.
10 make the public lands pay, il is
to change the system of
administering the lands.