Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-06-09
SETTLERS IN DANGER,

A very grievous blunder was committed
| by the last congress- toward the settlers
on the arid lands OF the west. OF course
the 50th congress was Democratic and
Grover Cleveland was president and
nothing else could be expected. The New
MEXICAN has heretofore referred to this
subject, and now it would impress upon
the people the necessity for immediate
steps toward relieving the arid lands
region OF the great shadow that has fallen
over its prosperity and advancement. A
circular letter to hand to-day sets forth
the following facts:
Upon every entry, without exception,
of government land in the arid regions,
made since October 2, 1888, patents have
been ordered by the general land Office to
be withheld. The secretary Of interior
and attorney general have been asked to
construe the act of October 2, 1888, with
drawing lands from entry, and to define
the arid regions.
Should they decide that all lands in the
arid regions were segregated by this act,
and all lands requiring irrigation for their
reclamation to be arid lands, then not
an acre OF such land in the great west
entered since October 2, 1888, can be pat
ented and such entries, without unseen
relief, will be Cancelled.
Tens of thousands of acres on existing
irrigating canals, actually being cultivated
and reclaimed by water from such canals
can not now be patented because entered
since October 2, 1888. Thousands of
bona fide settlers in California, Arizona,
New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Nevada,
and throughout the entire surrounding
region have been allow ed to enter govern
ment lands, are complying with the law
as they suppose it to be, and as it has
existed, are getting water from construct
ed irrgating canals, are honest, hard
working settlers, but who would to-day be
denied patent for that same land, and
are unconscious of the fact.
Congress has passed law its own
officers do not understand, and since
October, 2, 1888, have been allowing
hundreds and thousands of honest set
tiers and entrymen to be unwittingly led
into the entry of government land upon
which time and money is being expended
and where to-day nothing stands be-
tween these settles and ruin but favor
able construction Of this law by the Sec
rotary of the interior. Millions Of dollars
are being expended by private capital in
construction Of canals and to reclaim arid
lands, and this act Of October 9, 1888,
would forbid their reclamation, or that an
acre of this government land be touched
since that date, and that these canals be
rendered useless.
at cannot be said that settlers should
have known the possible construction of
this law, for not local land office, the pre-
sumable representatives Of the govern
ment, but is allowing entries of land to-day
upon constructed irrigating canals, where
reservoir sites, bitches or canals have not
been surveyed and set apart by the geo.
logical survey. Thus, since October 2,
1888, have entrymen been led to believe
the government fully understood the effect
of that act, and that their entries were al.
lowed accordinly."
The circular then goes on to explain
how this blunde. occurred, saying the
conference committee did not intend to
prohibit the entry and reclamation Of