THE FOOD CRISIS AND AMERICANISM 45 



inal Act, except to those lands outside of the twenty- 

 mile strip ten miles along each side of the railroad 

 bed. If inside that strip, it was reduced to eighty 

 acres. The Railroad Land Grant conveyed to the 

 railroads only the alternate, or odd numbered, sec- 

 tions within ten miles of the right of way. The even 

 numbered sections and all other agricultural lands 

 were withdrawn from sale and retained by the Gov- 

 ernment for homesteads only. Hence, the Govern- 

 ment had estopped itself from reaping any pecuniary 

 benefits from the advance selling price of these lands. 

 On no theory of the " Betterment of Agriculture " 

 can this amendment be justified. 



Then, as now, the intelligent farmer knew that, 

 though he might exist upon eighty acres, he could 

 never make a home suitable for an American citizen, 

 and rear his family on less than one hundred and sixty 

 acres. This is obvious, as these lands are fifteen to 

 eighteen hundred miles from consuming centers or 

 tide water, where the prices of farm products are 

 fixed. Hence, only by producing large volumes to be 

 sold on small margins of profit could he or his suc- 

 cessors hope to acquire a competency or to maintain 

 a home. The homesteader was thus driven beyond 

 the ten-mile limit to exercise his right to one hundred 

 and sixty acres of land. Except to benefit the Land 

 Grant landowners, why should our Government have 

 not only permitted, but encouraged, people to make 

 these early settlements as compact and as near to rail- 

 roads as possible, where the expense and trouble of 

 marketing would be reduced to the minimum, and 

 where schools and churches could be more readily 



