Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-22
ANDREWS ARID LAND BILL
syStlers in the Sand Hills Alarmed at Its
Probable Effects.
FEAR cRoWDING OUT BY BIG COMPANIES
Sending Letters to State OMcers Ask
ing thai They Use Their In
Duence Against the Pro-
posed Legislation.
FEAR cRoWDING OUT BY BIG COMPANIES

LINCOLN. March 21.-(Special.)-On De-
cember 6. 1895, Congressman w. E.. An
drews introduced~a bill in the house granting
TO the state Of Nebraska, for irrigation and
reclamation, semi-arid government lands.
Casual @ animation of the provisions OF this
hill convinced certain residents Of Grant,
Hooker and Mcpherson counties that this
was SINE scheme whereby lands could be
bought up in blocks by syndicates and cap
italists to the detriment Of small farmers
the ~leasers. Accordingly letters were written
to certain officials in the state house OPP
posing this bill, and urging the receivers oil
the letters 10 do likewise. Congressman An
drews has just forwarded a copy of the bill
TO Lincoln. The fifth clause Of the measure
provides that ''all lands not subject to ir-
r~igation or reclamation and useful only for
pastoral purposes and not taken under the
foregoing provisions Of this act, may be
cold or leased by each state under such reg
ulations and provisions as the legislature may
prescribe" Aside from this the measure als1
provides that no one can take up more than
leo acres, or, under certain restrictions, more
than GAO at the outside. Application at the
state board Of irrigation reveals the fact,
also, that in Hooker, Mcpherson and Grant
counties not a single application has been
made for a water privilege for irrigation
purposes. This would place the lands OF
those counties directly in subsection to such
laws as may be passed by the legislature OF
Nebraska.
STRENGTH OF THE NATIONAL GUARD.
The a~djutant generals office is in receipt
of tho 1895 report of the organized militia OF
the United States, containing complete and
detailed statements of the condition and
efficiency for service of the National Guard
OF the different states. These are compiled
from special reports or other m re-
ceived during the year 1895. The grand ag,
gregate of enlisted men In the national guard
Is 112, $40. The total number Of men in the
United States available for military duty
and not now enlisted In the guards, Is TO-
AS, 5sS. or the National Guard. Nebraska
has 1000. including seven generals and stan
officers. forty-ninc cavalrymen and sixty
five artillerymen. This Is the authorized
strength. although the state could enroll q
much larger force. In Nebraska the points
Of concentration are Omaha, Lincoln, Hast
ings and Grand Island. At Omaha, with
special railway service, the companies al
Beatrice, Nebraska City and Lincoln could
be concentrated within Ave hours. The com.
pany at Kesmey could be placed In Hastings
In two or three hours. The five companies
ut Omaha. Lincoln ar Beatrice could arrive
there in four hours. The statement IN re
gard to Hastings also applies to GRAND
Island. In Major Fecht's report, which por
tion was not given to the press at the time
he says:
Whenever II is practicable, and requested
by the Guards, regular troops should be
encamped with the National Guards, In
this state ! am satisfied that an arrange
ment could be made by which the state
authorities would locate the annual encamp
ment so that 1t would be convenient for tn,
regular troops to make a practice march
plan for the general government to allow
and encourage the encampment OF the Ma
tional Guard on military reservations In
the immediate vicinity of government posts
! would also earnestly recommend that APP
plication for the services OF non-commis
stoned officers to act as Instructors to com
panies be favorab'y considered. The serv
Ices of a deserving sand competent non
commissioned officer for n Few weeks witt
a company, OF the National Guard would
In my opinion be or me sreates{ value; IL
their services would be OF the greatest bene
The following claIms for water were today