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Show 212 HISTORY OF PUBLIC LAND LAW DEVELOPMENT Western criticism of the absentee, nonresident speculator was always strong because it was believed his activities raised land prices to a level dangerous for the actual farm maker, burdened him with a heavy debt, delayed him in making improvements that required considerable capital, gave rise to tenancy, and in many valuable areas concentrated the ownership of land in a few hands. There is real substance in this indictment as data collected by the Census Bureau in 1880 and 1890 were to show. In areas where large speculators had been most active-Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin-tenancy was found to be most concentrated in 1880, the average size of farms was greater, and the number of large farms in excess of 500 and 1,000 acres was higher. There can be no doubt that by intruding himself between the settler-farm maker and the government, the speculator contributed to tenancy as, in fact,did the land grant railroads and the states which tried to exact for their lands prices well above the government minimum. Yet it must be noted that in these four states where large areas had been acquired by speculators, land companies, and railroads there was extraordinary activity in farm making in the 1850's. In fact these four states could boast that in this decade they added 33 percent of the new farms in the country, 28 percent of the new land in farms, and 20 percent of the increased value of farmland.87 Increase in Number and Value of Farm in 1850's New New Increased State Farms Acreage in Value of Created Farms Farms Illinois 67,101 8,874,577 $312,810,743 Iowa 46,348 7,333,843 103,241,980 Missouri 36,333 10,252,140 167,406,583 Wisconsin 49,093 4,916,889 103,588,601 87 Ninth Census of the United States (Washington, 1872), 340-41. Do these figures tend to prove that speculation was less of an evil and a hindrance than the West thought? The explanation seems to be four-fold. Speculators in the fifties confined their attention to central and northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, most of Iowa, and the more central part of Missouri. Elsewhere in these four states settlers could take their time in making their selections. In these other areas and in much of central and southern Indiana and the non-cotton-producing lands of the South, individuals were generally able to secure the land they wanted. Even in the more popular areas the early bird who made his selection before the auction could file his preemption papers and, if he had or could borrow the money, could gain title no matter how many speculators looked longingly at his tract. As long as surveyed land remained unoffered, only preemptors could select and gain title, as we have seen. From the filing of his declaratory statement until the auction the settler was privileged to use his capital for improvements and had no need to worry until the announcement of the auction. In some places such as Kansas he might have as much as 3 to 5 years before he had to purchase in order to protect his equity. Or if, after the auction, he found an attractive quarter-section which was still owned by the United States he could settle upon it, file his declaratory statement, and have a year before he had to prove up and pay his $200 for the tract. Beginning with 1853 in California and 1854 in Kansas, Nebraska, and Minnesota Territories, settlers could move upon un-surveyed land and have the use of a quarter-section without payment until it had been surveyed and was offered at auction at an announced date. Thus they could anticipate the speculator. The West growled about the cash sale system and the public auction, but western spokesmen sometimes exaggerated the harm the system did in an effort to paint it so black that a free homestead law would be enacted. If we disregard the aspersions directed |