Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1904-12-16
NATIONAL IRRIGATION LAW
This Important Measure is Fully En-
planned by $. Il. Wilson.
Continued from last week.
IRRIGATION DISTRICTS.

planned by 5. Il. Wilson.
Continued from last week.
IRRIGATION DISTRICTS.
The sixteen western states and
territories included within the law are
divided into sixteen districts, over each
of which is placed practical irriga.
tion engineer who has charge of the
work in his district, and by whom re-
ports are made to the consulting board
of the United States reclamation SER
vice, which board is composed of prac.
tical irrigating engineers of wide
experience and technical knowledge
acquired in the practical operations uf
irrigating systems in California. Col
orado, Utah and other states where the
system of irrigation has been i'm opera
ton for some years past. This board
passes upon all of the projects submit
ted to it by the engineers in charge of
tine different districts and upon its
recommendation, after thorough in-
vestigation, the different enterprises
are undertaken, contracts let, etc.
OBJECTS OF THE LAW.
The object OF the law is not merely
to reclaim the arid lands, but to furnish
homes for the largest number of per
SOUS and to bring about an intensive
cultivation of the soil. Hence, it be
comes necessary to cut down the lands
held to such point as will enable a
large number of families to make com
Portable living. the intention being that
the land owner shall be an actual bona
tide resident, aud that landlordism
shall not be fostered or encouraged
A person residing in the neighborhood
of his irrieablc land may hold and
cultivate the same, as it he resided
actually upon the land, but cannot, of
course, hold or control more than 100
acres. 1t has been suggested by the
department that it will probably be
held that the expression "the neghbor-
hood'' means that person must live
within such distance of the land that
he can daily cultivate or care for it.
This provision relating to an occupant
residing in the neighborhood was
drawn originally with reference to the
conditions in Utah, where the farmers
live in villages or small communities
and cultivate their farms surrouding
them.
LANDs-How ACQUIRED.
The only way in which the govern
ment land can be taken is under the
homestead law, which requires actual
settlement and cultivation. Actual
and continuous residence is required
by the law with the usual six months
in which to establish residence after
filing is made. One person cannot file
localities the department has ruled
that title can be secured to only l2O,
80 or 40 acres; provided, that the com
mutation provisions of the homestead
laws shall moi apply to entries made
under the reclamation act.
LANDS IN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP.
The reclamation act is made applica-
BILE to land under private ownership
under certain conditions aud restric-
tions as we'll as to government lands,
with the objest constantly in view that
no one person can acquire or hold a
large tract of irrigated land. If an in
dividual owns more than 16O acres of
land that can be irrigated, the law
requires him to agree that he will dis
pose of all of his lands in excess of 16O
acres to a person or persons who may
become actual settlers and cultivators
of the same. The petitions that are
now being circulated in this county are
especially to meet this provision of the
law. The person signing the petition
agrees that he will either dispose of
his excess land himself, or in case be
fails to do so before the government is
actually ready to supply the premises
with water, then he agrees that the
Water Users Association, of which he
becomes a member, may dispose of this
land for him at reasonable price, the
proceeds of the sale to be paid over to
the owner of the land. This does not
prevent man from disposing of a
quarter section to his wife, another
quarter section to a son, or any other
relative who may be capable of acquir.
ing or holding land under the laws Of
the state where the land is situated
The government expects that every
acre of land tributary to the irrigatins
bitches shall be made subject to the
law, and that the owner shall agree tt
irrigate all of the land owned by hin
that can be reached. That is, MAJ
may not, at his own discretion, whel
he owns 160 acres of land, all of whicl
may be irrigated, decide that he will
only irrigate half of it, and therefor
be charged with only that amount.
The petition now at my Office con
| forming to this provision of the lay