The Arizona sentinel., 1908-06-24
Farm Unit Under
 Yuma Project
Homesteaders Petition Secretary of Interior to Flake Forty Acres Future Limit, But Ask for Full Entries on Past Filings.


 Harm unit" of lands under the Yum
 Project. They have petti0ned tn
 Secretary of the Interior for forty
 acre limit for future filings, but ar
 urging that all who have filed or con
 tested, 0" who have Squatters' right
 previous to this date be allowed 16
 acres, or what their entries call for.
 has been known that the policy of tn, department ras been to cut down thu
 acreage, under the government recla
 nation schemes where intensive farm
 ing is to be the rule, and the settler
 are satisfied that the farm unit should
 be forty acres, but they and all who arC acquainted with the situation believe | it would be unfair and unjust to apply this rule 10 those who have struggled against almost innumerable obstacles and legally maintained their rights as homesteaders, improved their places and surrounded themselves with home comforts by hard work and good faith with the government.
 As q matter of fact, we do not believe the secretary of the interior can, by an arbitrary ruling, set aside the pro- visions of the homestead law, and we believe the settlers are doing a lot Of unnecessary worrying over the matter that is to say, those settlers who have fulfilled every obligation imposed by the homestead laws and have acted in good faith with the government. If they have done this, they have un- doubtedly acquired rights and property that canno be legally taken from them without remuneration.
 The discussion of this question was brought forth by-a recent letter from Secretary Garfield saying that Prof Forbes of the University of Arizona, had stated that, in his opinion, fifteen acres under the baguna dam was sutfi- cient for the support of any one family. In resolutions adopted by the home steaders they reply to this suggestion as fellows:
 Our experience ip farming in the Yuma valley leads us to the belief that under favorable conditions, after the water i: delivered to the land as afOre- said, a lesser area than I60 acres of good productive land, free from alkali and other natural defects, will be sutfi- cient to suppore- family; but that the acreage required will be varied accord ing to natural advantages, such a, quality of soil, proximity to market and the period when water will be deliver ed to the different sections of the land under the project.
 We believe that the character of support to which every American fam fly is entitled, is such as will give proper education to the children, afford suffi- oient leisure to the parents to read and keep pace wi1h the progress of the times and and at the same time lay by for sickness, calamity ard age and that with conditions favor able the average family may thus achieve it's ideals upon forty acres of | good average land. suitably located | with water furnished at the time the entry is made, but that no lesser acre 1 lge will be sufficient, as a general rule, pr other than in very exceptional cases. |
 "The estimates tending to show that | lesser area will be sufficient are based | lpon experiments conducted for few easons only, and under conditions more avOrable than the average farmer can nope for when the great acreage under he project is reduced to small produc- ng farms competing with each other in he local market which must always be factor in price and profit"
 Concerning the equity of allowing hose who have filed in the past the ull amount of their respective entries heir resolution to the secretary says:
 Tn good faith they have gone ahead. pent their means and many years of oil endeavoring to improve their place s best they could under the primitive that have existed.
 They are now, in many instances. impoverished and if cut down in their ntries to smaller area they will rot e able to stand on equal footing with he new conner who brings with him his arnings during those past years to buy he necessary teams, implements and ecessaries of life with which to oper- . te; but if the homesteader be given Is full one hundred and sixty acres he s lay dispose of part of his holdings. 7 eimbursing himself in a measure for , Is past expenditure and labor and at le same time providing himself with , leanS to buy the necessary implements | nd keep himself going while getting $ is permanent crops or orchards up to f paying basis. f Many have paid large sums for re- I on lands withdrawrf r Om all entry and were advised to file f nd did file contests and prosecute [ lem to fortify their right of entry | hen the land should be restored and Q some instances they have gone { head improving the land"
 Thinks It Saved His life.
 Lester NJ. Nelson Of Naples, Maine 4 yS in recent letter: Il have used a