, 1900-02-15

the laws now IN force appllca-
BILE to such lands, and subject to
of way for any and all pur-
poses to which the public lands
are now subject: Provided, That
any person filing ON such lands
pay to lessee for all the improve
ments placed thereon by him, the
value of which to be determined
by agreement or arbitration IN
der such regulations as shall be
prescribed by the Secretary of
the Interior. Owners and occu-
pants of patented lands and le-
gal settlers and entrymen under
the public land laws shall have
a preference right to lease lands
contiguous or near to the lands
owned or occupied by them. No
individual or company shall be
permitted to lease more than five
sections of land. A lessee shall
obtain no rights by virtue of his
lease to cut timber growing on
such lands. The leasing price
shall be fixed by the State or Ter
ritory, but shall not be less than
one cent nor more than five cents
per r per annum All leases
shall be for a period of five years.
and in. releasing the lands in this
Act described preference shall be
given to those who have made
substantial improvement upon the
land leased by them. At least
sixty days before Leasing any
lands the State or Territory shall
cause notice thereof to be insert
ed at least once n week for four
weeks in a local newspaper, and i'll
newspaper published at the
State or Territorial capital, which
notice shall designate the lands
to be leased and the place where
applications therefor will be re-
ceived. Thirty days before the
issuance of leases, notice of the
approved applications shall be
published Mt least once n week for
two weeks. in the same ncwspa-
per, TO permit of corrections of
description and filing of protests
by parties aggrieved by such al
lotments.
"Sec. 3. That any State or Ter
ritory desiring to avail itself of
the provisions of this Act shall
provide for an irrigation or engi-
neering department or bureau of
the State or Territorial govern
ment, for location preparation of
plans, and estimates of canals and
reservoirs to be constructed from
the proceeds, of this Act. and to
supervise the distribution Of wa
tiers so made available for irriga
ton; they shall also enact laws
for making water so stored or dis
tributed public property, and res
tricting the rights thereto to that
of use, and attaching inseparably
to the lands reclaimed.
Sec. 4. That the moneys re-
ceived from rentals shall be depos-
tied with the State or Terrific
rial treasurer, and be subject to APP
preparation by the State or Ter
ritorial Legislature for the pur-
poses hereinbefore designated:
Provided, That no appropriation
shall be made for irrigation works
until after estimates and pinns
therefor have been provided by
the State or Territorial irrigation
and engineering department or
bureau, and construction of the
same recommended.
"Sec. 5. That each State or
Territorial shall keep a separate
account of the receipts aud dis
bursements of such rentals, and
furnish the Secretary of the In
terror with IA copy thereof when
required"
The above bill of Mr.. Mondell's,
now pending in Congress, seems
to mark the way out of the wilder
ness for western ranchmen. We
give the bin entire and would rec
ommend that every ranchman
give it a close and careful study
in order that he may be perfectly
familiar with it's provisions and