The Nome nugget., 1903-05-20
GOOD FOR
 ALASKA Homestead BilIApprOved By President. TEXT OF MEASURE.
PHncipal' Change Allows Settlers to Commute One Hundred
 and Sixty Acres.

Washington March ll.-In the opin- ion of Representative Lacey and other members of the house public lands com nfttee, the Alaska homestead bill as finally approved by the president is a far better measure than either of the bills originally passed by the senate Snd house. Differences of opinion were adjusted in the conference committee Of the two houses in q way which rad !cally changed the bin, as proposed. The principal change allows settlers to commute l60 acres of each 320-acre tract. This will enable homcsteaders 10 dispose Gf'half of their homesteads for the puspo,e of improving the other half of their tracts.
 The necessity of legislation of the sort proposed" said the report of the senate committee on the homestead bill, lis pressing and immediate; and, amended A. in this report set forth. the passed" This fairly represented the views of both of the public lard com mi.tees, and much interest is mani iested in the probable practical work- ing of the new law. IL i> believed that settlement in Alaska will be onCOur- aged, anl at any rate the operation f this law will demonstrate to some ex- ,eh. tho agriculture! rossibilitie. ot Alaska.
 The tert of the Jaw 4s approved by tee president is a. follows:
 That all the provisions of the home stead laws Of the United States not 1T conflict with the provisions Of this act and aIl rights incident thereto are hereby exten6ed to the district e A a>tIa, subject 10 Suc1 regulations |: may Dc made hv the secretary ut tho interior: aDQ DO indemnity. CelcieLcY. or lien land se.ectiors pertaining tC sos klno whaisov-r shall be located within or exercised upor any laDC> i- said district eXcep. as now provided V law: and prov ideG further thai no more than l60 acres shall b. eu,erel n any single body ia said scrip. lieu selection, or right; and provided further that ro location of scrip, selection or right along any navigable or other waters shall be made within the distance of eighty rods of any lands along such waters, heretofore located by means ofany such scrip or otherwise: and pro- vided further that no communication privileges shall be allowed in excess of l6O acres included in any homestead entry under the provisions hereof
 "Provided, that no entry shall be al lowed extending more than lGO rods along the shore of any navigable water, and along such shore a space of at least eighty rods shall be reserved from en- try between all such claims; and that nothing herein contained shall be so construed as to authorize entries to be made or title to be acquired to the shore of any navigable waters within said district; and no patent shall issue here under until all the requirements of sec tions 229l. 2292 and 23O5 of the Revised Statutes have been fully complied with as to residence, improvements, cultiva- ton, snd proof except as to commuted lands as herein provided:
 "And it is further provided, That every person who is qualified under existing laws to make homestead entry of the public lands of the United States wAo has settled upon or who shall Hereafter settle upon any of the public lands of the United States situated in the district of Alaska, whether sur veyed or unsIrveycd, with the intention Of claiming the same under the home stead laws, shall, subject to the provis- ions and limitations hereof, be entitled to enter 320 acres or q less quantity of inappropriate public land in said dis tvict of Alaska.
 of any of the land so settled upon, or to be settled upon. is unsurveyed,