, 1902-03-20
THE REFUNO|NG BILL
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR WAR.
Rem AND PASSED BY
THE SENATE.
Rulings Of Land Department Not Uni
&. form In Some Instances, Straight
ened Out In Contemplated Law
Losses and Gains by the Govern
ment and the E%ntryman.

Washington ID. c., March 20.-(Spe
cial to The Republican.)-Senato
Warren's bill provides for refundins
first payments on unprotected desert
land entries has passed the senate
The report on the bill as made by
Senator Clark from the public lands
committee gives an interesting resume
OF the purpose of the bill. 1t is as
follows:
II this bill shall pass and become a
law, the loss and gain account between
the government on n side and the
entryman on the other would stand
about as follows:
l The government loses nothing
whatever. 1t simply pays back some
Of the money it received several years
ago, without interest on the same, for
which it gave no thing or value what
aver.
2 The government gains (a) the
use of this money since paid in. up to
the time of proposed repayment; CD
a cancellation against each entryman
Of his desert entry right. ir that the
entryman can not again enter desert
lands.
AS to the settler, it is different. His
losses are:
1. His desert entry right has been
exhausted. ,
2. He will have lost the use Of his
money during the intervening years.
ance. he will have lost all the money
expended in improvements upon the
forfeited land, such as bitches. fences.
buildings. etc, because the land has
reverted to the government. =
The proposed measure restores some
part Of the losses of the settler by re-
turning to him a part of the gains of
the government: but even after this
of partial justice the advan-
tages are with the Government as
against the entryman.
In many of the western states and
territories there were vast areas Of
public lands which in their natural
were arid and ~unproductive
and to which the presumption, home
stead and other existing land laws
We're SO inapplicable tlat no effort was
made to acquire title to them under
these laws. 1t was known a portion
of these lands possessed a ricr soil and
if subject to artificial irrigation would
become highly productive.
AS an inducement to their reclama-
ton the act of March 8, 1877. was pass
ed whereby it was provided that any
citizen of the United States, or person
who had declared his intention to be-
come such, could upon payment Of 25
cents per acre, file a declaration under
oath with the register and receiver of
the local land office. announcing his
intention to reclaim a stated tract Of
desert land not exceeding one section.
by conducting water upon the same,
ana 'na' III any ''Hhe "''hih three
years 'hereai'er' upon MAKING saI's-
factory PROOF Oh the reclamation OF the
tract ana upon the paymeh OF the al
di1'ohal sum ~ per acre .he eiairh-
aht could optaih Il patent lor the 'ahd'
This act vas by its terms made appli-
, i
no'' ",u. "i'sto"' p'ouu'
"e as'''aa" o''p'
The rulings OF the land department
rs &c hat desert lands within
the meaning OF n act OF March g.,
1871 were 0 uniform. By said cir
cuiar OF March IL, 1877, h proof upon
point was to be made to the salts
an .no
""a 'ne poo many
- ms o' ano
" W nei upon
~ " anu
upon' ~
Ms.
quo" ~ -.
~. MnnS. 49,,