Report on the lands of the arid region of the United States, with a more detailed account of the lands of UtahPowell, John Wesley
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Report on the lands of the arid region of the United States, with a more detailed account of the lands of Utah
Powell, John Wesley
Irrigation -- Utah; Irrigation -- West (U.S.); Public lands -- United States; Rain and rainfall -- West (U.S.)
By these methods adequate provision is made for actual settlers on all
irrigable lands that are dependent on the waters of minor streams; but
these methods are insufficient for the settlement of the irrigable
lands that depend on the larger streams, and also for the pasturage
lands and timber lands, and in this are included nearly all the lands
of the Arid Region. If the irrigable lands are to be sold, it should
be in quantities to suit purchasers, and but one condition should be
imposed, namely, that the lands should be actually irrigated before
the title is transferred to the purchaser. This method would provide
for the redemption of these lands by irrigation through the employment
of capital. If these lands are to be reserved for actual settlers,
in small quantities, to provide homes for poor men, on the principle
involved in the homestead laws, a general law should be enacted under
which a number of persons would be able to organize and settle on
irrigable districts, and establish their own rules and regulations for
the use of the water and subdivision of the lands, but in obedience to
the general provisions of the law.
TIMBER LANDS.
The timber lands cannot be acquired by any of the methods provided in
the preëmption, homestead, timber culture, and desert land laws, from
the fact that they are not agricultural lands. Climatic conditions
make these methods inoperative. Under these laws “dummy entries” are
sometimes made. A man wishing to obtain the timber from a tract of land
will make homestead or preëmption entries by himself or through his
employés without intending to complete the titles, being able thus to
hold these lands for a time sufficient to strip them of their timber.
This is thought to be excusable by the people of the country, as
timber is necessary for their industries, and the timber lands cannot
honestly be acquired by those who wish to engage in timber enterprises.
Provision should be made by which the timber can be purchased by
persons or companies desiring to engage in the lumber or wood
business, and in such quantities as may be necessary to encourage the
construction of mills, the erection of flumes, the making of roads, and
other improvements necessary to the utilization of the timber for the
industries of the country.
PASTURAGE LANDS.
If divisional surveys were extended over the pasturage lands, favorable
sites at springs and along small streams would be rapidly taken under
the homestead and preëmption privileges for the nuclei of pasturage
farms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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