The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1902-01-30
GRAZING LAND
LEASING BILL.
Rent Two Cents
Per Acre.


main and reserving all rights of home
stead and mineral entry has been drawn
up at Chico, Cal. aud will be presented
to Congress.
Section l. Be it enacted by the senate
and house of representatives of the
United States OF America in congress
assembled, that all vacant public lands
west of the Tooth meridian west from
CIR enwich, shall be leased for stock
grazing purposes, subject to homestead
and mineral entry under existing laws of
the United States, and when so entered
to be cancelled from the lease.
Section 2. Leases of such land shall
not be subject to bid. The uniform rem.
tai shall be 2 cents per acre per annum,
payable annually in advance, and prefer
ence for such leases shall be given to
owners of cultivated agricultural land,
for leasable lands abutting upon their
freeholds in proportion of 10 acres of
leasable to one OK freehold. A like
preference of 10 acres of leasehold to
one OF free hold shall be given to stock
growers who are also free holders; this
preference shall apply only to lands
within the counties upon which their
stock habitually range. If in the case OF
either of the preferences above provided
there shall not be sufficient leasable
lands in the county to give each person
entitled to the preference the maximum
proportion Of 10 acres to one, then such
lands shall be prorated between the per-
sons entitled to such preference. fhe
further preference to lands not leased
under the foregoing provisions of this
section shall be given to stockgrowers
who were in actual use ard occupancy
of such lands during the year ending
January l, 1901, to be leased to them in
proportion to their respective interests
in and use thereof. Where the states
lease state lands the bona fide holders
of such state ieaseholds shall be benefic-
iaries of the preference given above to
stockgrowers who are also freeholders;
provided that such leaseholds are not
held by any one person in tracts exceed
ing $40 acres in one body. Freehold
rights under this section shall not apply
to townsite property, nor to any lands
deriving their titles from Spanish or
Mexican grants
Section 3. All leases to run ten years
with the privilege of renewal for a second
term Of ten years, the first lease having
the preference for such second term,
provided he shall have complied with
the requirements of this law and the
terms of his lease and has not allowed
his leasehold TO deteriorate.
Section A. The revenue derived from
the leases herein authorized shall be paid
into the treasury of the United States
and the net revenue, after deducting the
expense of administering this tract shall
be held in trust to be paid such states
and territories wherein the leaseholds
are situated, as provide state engineer
and other proper means for devoting the
same to the diversion of storage of water
and its distribution for irrigation of ag-
ricultural lands. Only such revenue as
is derived in any state or territory shall
be returned to it for such purpose.
Section 8. The secretary OF the in
ter or shall have power to cancel lease
where its owner becomes ineligible, and
shall administer this act, making all
needful rules and regulations for that
purpose.
The owners OF the vast Mexican and
Spanish grants are excluded from free.
hold or other privileges under this law,
by limiting its beneficiaries to land hold
ers under the laws of the United States
and townsite freeholders are also proper
ly excluded.
The fixing of The time of the pastoral
occupancy at the year ending January l,
1901, is to exclude combinations of capi-
tai forming for the purpose of getting
leasehold control of these lands to the
exclusion of western ranchmen and
stockgrowers who now occupy them in
common.
To absolutely guard the rights of all
against the combinations of the few, the
leasers are not open 70 bid There will
be no auction at which the strong can
overcome the weak. Every man has his
rights defined by the law, and none can
take them away.
The leaseholder being compelled to
pay for the land he uses will protect
their forage from determination by over
stocking, The vegetable covering will
increase and will more and more con-
serve the moisture, increasing the means
Of irrigation. The law proposes that the
net revenue OF the leases shall be held
by the United States in trust for the use
of the states where it is derived, in the
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