The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-01-10
JONES AT WORK ON BILL :.
TO SETTLE INDIAN RIGHTS
Legal Advisors of Two Bureaus
i'm Hands of Local Men.

Congressman w. l.. Jones has in
troduced in the house of represen-
tatives in Washington the following
bill, designed to do away with the
existing trouble in the settlement
of water rights between the recla-
nation service and the Indian bu-
reau. The bill as presented meets
with the approval of the legal adj
visers of the two bureaus and if
the question of water rights is set
tled there is little doubt but that
it will pass both houses of con-
gress. Mr. Jones says in letter
to the editor of The Herald: "The
option has been extended on the Sun
nysde canal. Our water rights
should be adjusted by the middle of
January so as to give time to get
this bill through, adjust the states
claim and settle any other legal diff
culties that may be in the way here.
Actual work can then be COM
menced on or before April l."
The text of the bill is as follows:
Be it enacted by the senate and
house of representatives of the
United States in congress assembled:
That if within the limits of the
Yakima Indian reservation in the
state of Washington. as described
in the act approved Dec. 81, 1904,
entitled IAN act to authorize the sale
and disposition of surplus or unal-
lotted lands of the Yakima Indian
reservation, in the state of Wash
ington,' there shall be found sur
plus or unallotted lands under irri-
CATION projects deemed practicable
under the provisions of the act of
congress approved June II, 1902,
known as the reclamation act, the
secretary of tne interior is hereby ru-
thorized to exclude from the pro-
visions of said act of Dec. 81, 1904,
such surplus or unallotted lands
(Which can be irrigated under such
project) and to dispose of the same
in the manner hereinafter provided
and he is further authorized to make
Withdrawals of such lands for the
purposes provided in said reclama-
ton act
Sec. 2.-The irrigable surplus and
unallotted lands in any such project
shall be subject to homestead entry
under all the provisions of the recla-
nation act at such time as may be
fixed by the secretary of the interior
and at price determined by ap-
praisal as provided in said act of
Dec 81, 1904. Payments for the
land shall be made in annual in
stallments, the number and time of
beginning being fixed by the secre-
tary of the interior, and shall be de-
posted in the treasury of the
United States and credited to the
Yakima Indian fund and disposed
of as provided by Section 4 of the
said act of Dec. 81, 1904 Such
payments shall be in addition to the
charges for construction and main
tenance of the irrigation system
made payable into the reclamation
fund by the provisions Of the recla-
nation act. In case of failure to
make any payment for such lands
when due. the secretary of the in
terror shall have power to cancel the
entry and the corresponding water
right and declare forfeited to the
said Yakima Indian fund and the
reclamation fund respectively, the
amounts paid on such entry and
water right The lands embraced
within such Cancelled entry shall be
subject TO further entry under the
reclamation act at the appraised
value until otherwise directed by the
president, who may by proclamation,
rs provided by said act OF Dec. 81,
1904. from time to time fix such
price as he may deem most advan-
tageous upon all lands within such
projects not disposed Of.
Sec. 9.-If any lands heretofore al
lotted or patented to Indians shall
be found irrigable under any pro-
ject, the secretary Of the interior is
hereby authorized, upon the request
or with the consent Of such allot-
tee or patentee. to dispose Of all land
in excess of 20 acres in each case, in
tracts Of an area approved by him
and subject to all the provisions of
the reclamation act to any person
qualified to purchase water rights
under the provisions Of the recla-
nation act at a price satisfactory to
the allottee or patentee and ap-
proved by the secretary of the in
terror. or at public sale to the high
est bidder. The payments shall be