The St. Johns herald., 1890-09-04
Arid Land Entries.

to the Globe-Democrat dated Au- gust 18th says: Commissioner Grof of the General Land Ofice to-day issued an additional letter sf instructions to the Register and Receivers of the United States Land Offices throughout the Western States and Territories upon the subject of entries in the arid re- gions. A circular letter of instruc- tions was issued uppon this subject one year ago by the Secretary of the Interior calling attention to the provisions of the act of Congress of October 3, 1888, and directing the Registers and Receivers to cancel all filings subsequent to the date of the approval of this act.
 By the provisions of the act of 1888 the Director of the Geological Survey was authorized to make an irrigation survey, with the view of selecting sites for reservoirs, canals and ditches, and all irrigable lands within the arid regions were with drawn from settlement. After cit ing the provisions of the act the Secretary's letter of instructions continued:
 "The object sought to be accom- plished by the foregoing provisions is unmistakable. The water sources and the arid lands that may be ir- rigated by the system of national irrigation are now reserved to be hereafter, when redeemed to agri- culture, transferred to the people of the Territory in which they are situated for homesteads. The act of Congress and common justice require that they should be faith fully preserved for these declared purposes.
 "The statue provides that all lands which may be designated or selected by the Geological Survey as sites for reservoirs, ditches or canals for irrigating purposes, and all lands made susceptible of irri- gation by such reserviors,id iditches or canals, are since the passage ot said act, absolutely reserved from sale as property of the United States and shall not be subject. .af- ter the passage of the act to entry, settlement, or occupation until fur ther provided by law, or the Presi- dent, by proclamation, may open said lands to settlement. Neither individuals nor corporations have the right to make filings upon any lands thus reserved, nor can they be permitted to obtain control of the lakes and streams that are sus- ceptible of uses for irrigating pur- poses. You will, therefore, imme- 
 diately cancel all filings made since October ?, 1888, on such sites for reservior8, ditches or canals for ir- rigation by such reserviors, ditches or canals, whether made by indi- viduals or corporations, and you will hereafter receive no filings up on any such lands"
 Notwithstanding the passage ot this act and the subsequent instruc- tions to the land officials it appears that numerous filings and entries within the arid regions have been
 permitted to be made. Last April the Attorney General was asked fol
 an opinion upon the matter of these subsequent filings and entries, and he fully sustained the action of the
 Commissioner. In his letter of in strcutions issued to-day Commis- sioner Groff calls attention to the former instruction by the Secretary and the opinion of the Attorney General, and directs the Registers Receivers to proceed strictly in anc accordance herewith. He thus con cludes:
 Although, in any case, there bt f at the time no designatoin of the looJ iovOlynd therein as q GnptioI