The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1902-02-04
THE ARID LAND BILL.
suggestions Made TO Congressional Committee
BY J. D Stone of ziIah.


ihLLAH, Wash, Jan. 30. 1902 -Ed;to,.E
II sRALD.-l herewith send you for pubr ms
cation copy of my letter of suggestif arid
10 the congressional committee osist.
lands as forwarded on the 18th irmight be
III has seemed to me that st lished, and
wen TO have the same pud should write
also that others interestes and comments,
their suggestions, viewsfJ their interest in
thus making manifesselp to shape and
the matter, and hdough. Let us get
pull the matter tbrthe recent case of the
move on as muse public lands, and we
proposal to leg ,od prospects of success.
may nave gfy yours, JASPER d. STONE.
"espec'lullF TIER OF SUGGESTIONS.
LKii honorable Representative New
10 the II Of Nevada, Secretary of the Arid
landssnds Committee Washington ID. c..
Lag relation to the irrigation bill as per
lF .KIMA HERALD of January 1902:
! am interested in and much pleased with
the propositions of the bill, and have
had practical experience in irrigated dis
tricts; so thankfully accept the COM
mittees invitation to offer suggestions
on the subject.
| first suggest to cut down size of entry
from eighty to forty acres, and allow
such entry claim to every citizen, male
or female, over the age of IS years, and
that regardless OF any former or existing
claim or any other holding of land.
This would give more people the bene-
fits of the act and better develop the re-
sources of the country. My observation
is that even ten and twenty-acre farms,
and some smaller, are quite common in
irrigated districts and that twenty acres
Of irrgable land is all if not more, than
one man or family needs to make good
home; and that such sized tracts are in
demand, and is as much land as ordi-
narilv man and family can make use
of without considerable financial means
to hire help with. Perhaps ten or
twenty acres to a man and the same
amount to his wife might be all suffi-
cient.
Second-Require the entryman to pay
more than IS per acre for land and water
right-say SIS or $40; and except the
entry fee of 81 per acre down, allow fiji
teen years time at per cent per annum
interest, said principal and interest to
be payable either in whole or in part at
any time or times at option of entryman
within fifteen years, after not less than
one years residence require improve
ments or cultivation and use and resi-
dence to begin within one year from the
time water is supplied at convenient
place or places on said land The irri-
CATION companies require greater price
than 500 per acre for water right alone,
and readily sell their lands and
water right for about twice that price,
and sometimes much more, without so
good water right. This increased price
would greatly increase the reclamation
fund and make the undertaking self
sustaining, even where it might be quite
expensive to reclaim the lands; and
such price would be more nearly the
true value OF the public property, and
consequently more just to the general
public.
Third-Instead of ''No contracts shall
be let until necessary funds are avail
able" (as per bill) substitute provision
that currency or a low rate of interest
bonds, say per cent per annum, in
small and convenient size or denomina-
nation, be issued and used to provide
funds or be used for paying for work on
contracts etc. said bonds to be re-
deemed by the reclamation fund and to
be receivable in payment for such lands
This would make the proposition take
effect without delay and put into imme-
date operation and use an undertaking
of pressing public need, and insure
prosperity hard to be estimated.
Fourth-Make provision to irrigate
state lands and lands of other owners at
cost, provided such state or other own
crs extend this irrigable homestead pro-
vision over their said lands, the proceeds
of which are - 20 TO such state or other
owner after paying the cost OF such wa
ter right; otherwise charge them SIS
for water right and limit amount of
land to forty acres TO one person.