The herald., 1896-07-26
the public reclamation Of arid lands, on

the DuDl1C feCldfndtlOu VI dhAu AeiiNS' 49,
Saturday, the 18th instant.
Apart from the interest that farmers
are taking in the subject. business men
feel that the bill as drafted covefsGne of
the most important factors in the future
development of the west and are unit
in it's support.
The attendance promises to be exceed
ingly large. P. j. CLARK.
THE O'NEILL BILL
An act to provide for the irrigation and
reclamation of the arid land belong
ing to the public domain.
Section /. BE 1t enacted by the senate
and house of representatives of the
United States of America, in congress
assembled: That for the purposes of
this act all public lands west of the
ninety-fiifth meridian of longitude west
from Greenwich, belonging to the public
domain, are divided, in addition to the
olassifications now existing, into
% Desert lands, by which shall be
understood all lands chiefly valuable for
agricultural purposes, but which cannot
be made productive except by the con-
struction of reservoirs, dams, canals, or
other hydraulic works for the purpose
of irrigating the same;
(2) Non n-irrigable lands, by which shall
be understood all lands which can be
cultivated without irrigation, or which
are available for purposes other than
agriculture.
Sec. 2. That any state or territory
wherein are located desert land, as here
inbefore described, may, by joint reso-
luton Of both branches of the legisla-
ture, declare its intention to avail itself
OF the benefits of this act, and when the
governor of any such state or territory
shall have submitted to the president
of the United States such joint resolu-
ton, then such state or territory shall
have the right to divide the desert lands
belonging in the public domain within
its limits into irrigation districts, said
irrigation districts to be created with re-
gard to:
U The most available and efficient
water supply, whether from running
streams or to be secured by the con-
struction of storage reservoirs; and
2) The most efficient and profitable
APPLICATION of water to the largest area
and most productive lands.
Sec. 3. That whenever any state or
territory wherein such districts have
been created shall file with the secretary
of the interior detailed plan for the
irrigation and reclamation of the desert
lands In any district so created, showing,
by proper surveys, maps, reports and es-
Inmates
d) The area of desert lands that can
be irrigated;
(2) The available water supply;
of such work;
1t shall be the duty of the secretary
of the interior to refer the same to the
general land office for immediate exam
ination and report thereon.
Sec. 4. That If, after such examina-
tion, the statement filed by any state
of territory under this law is verified,
the same shall be approved. and the
lands proposed to be irrigated, together
with all other public lands required for
the construction of dams, reservoirs,
canals. or other hydraulic works, shall
be withdrawn from public entry. to be
disposed of as hereinafter provided.
Sec. s. That on the approval of the
plans for the construction of the neces-
sary reservoirs, dams, canals or other
hydraulic works for the irrigation of the
desert lands of any duly organized ir-
rigation district, the state or territory
wherein such district is located shall be
entitled to and shall receive from the ma
tional government on account of such ir-
rigation district loan Of money suffi-
cient in amount to cover the expenses
or the construction of the works neces-
sary to irrigate and reclaim the desert
lands In such district, the said loan to
De lor the period of fifty years; pro-
vided, however, that no loan for any one
year TO any one state or territory for
sucn purpose shall exceed the sum of
1000; and, provided further, that no
loan shall be made on account of any
district wherein the cost of reclamation
and irrigation shall exceed the sum of
sSS per acre on the land irrigated and re-
claimed.