Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-07-20

situation prevails Except upon In
dian lands). The laws merely vail
date practices which developed dur
ing the gold rush Of 40 and the
miner who wants to claim q tract
need not even notify the Federal
Government, its nominal owner,
unless he wants patent. This has
permitted the development Of all
sorts of abuses, including the claim
ing of land for mineral development,
although it is actually used for
some other purpose, and the pos
sibly careless destruction Of another
valuable natural resource while the
minerals are being extracted. There
should be some regulation and the
law should require, at the minimum,
that the Federal Government be
notified when mineral claim is be-
ing made.
While this law should be changed,
there are at least two laws relating
to lands and resources under the
departments jurisdiction which
should be left alone. One of these,
on which the department has often
taken a firm stand, is that provision
Of the reclamation law which limits
to q maximum of 100 acres the size
Of the singly-oWned farm which can
be irrigated by water from such
projects.
Ownership of land in family-size
tracts Is a traditional public policy
in this country. In every law grant
ing special privileges to actual
settlers which has been enacted by
Congress in $50 years, the right to
select public land was limited to an
area no greater than the amount
needed to provide living for one
family. In practically all the acts
providing for land disposal. except
those applying to the dry farming
and arid grazing lands, the limita-
ton was 100 acres or less.
Unsound Proposals
The present increased price OF
livestock, with the resulting favor
able economic position of many
Western stockmen, has led to recent
agitation for another undesirable
and shortsighted proposal-to re-
quire indiscriminate sale of range
lands which have been improved by
Federal expenditures. Were this
permitted, as some cattlemen want,
the water holes and the best range
would probably be gobbled up in
short order, leaving the remaining
range of small value to others. Many
cattlemen, either unable to buy or
not lucky enough to snag off the
good lands, would be forced out of
business. The range itself would
be subjected to the possibility of de-
struction through overgrazing.
Each OF these unsound proposals
would give to the few what belongs
to the many.
Complete elimination Of small
isolated tracts by sale OF other dis
posal Is certainly an objective to be
sought as soon as possible. More
over, consolidation of the larger
tracts by disposal or exchange will
60 forward as rapidly as staff and
funds permit. Exchange of Gov
eminent land for equivalent private
ly owned land is often feasible and
is utilized wherever possible to con-
solida%e holdings or rectify irregu-
lar boundary lines. Sales OF isolat-
ed tracts to adjoining property own
ers are often possible.
The closely related problem of
proper classification of Government
lands for their highest economic use
also must be solved by increasing
the speed of classification and by
keeping the classification up to date.
Proper classification Is significant
since it Is the only way that the ad-
ministrators of these lands can know
whether they are being devoted to
their best use.