Philip weekly review. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 1907-1912, 1908-02-07
HOMESTEAD ENTRY BILL


By New Law
Under date OF January 3lst the
Washington correspondent for the
Sioux Falls Argus Leader writes his
paper as follows:
Representative Mondell's bill,
which provides that any person who
has made entry under the homestead
laws from any cause has lost, forfeit
ed or abandoned the same shall be en-
tied to the benefits OF the homestead
law as thou ia the former entry had
not been made, which recently passed
the house, will become law. The
senate passed q bill of a similar char
acter some time ago, but when the
house bill reached the senate both
bills were referred TO conference
committee, which has decided upon
the house measure and slight
amendment. The bill has been sent
to the president for signature.
The full text of the measure is as
follows:
THAT any person who, prior to the
passage OF this act, has made entry
under the homestead laws, but from
amy cause has lost, iCrfcil ed or aban-
doned the same, shall be entitled to
the benefits of the homestead law as
though such former entry had not
been made, and any person applying
for a second homestead under this act
shall furnish the description and date
of his former entry"
Representative Gronna. of the COM
mittee on public lands OF the house,
in reporting the measure said in part: /:
"The necessity for and advisabiity
Of legislation from time TO time pro-
viding for second honest cad entries
in cases where the entryman has
been unable to perfect title to the
land covered by his first entry has
long been recognized by congress In
1889 and again in 1900 legislation of
this character was had, and as time
passes and the public lands subject to
homestead entry are largely i'm re-
gions where the perfecting of home
stead entries is surrounded by many
difficulties the necessity for the legis-
lation increases.
''The American homesteader is
constantly pushing forward from the
confines OF settlement on 10 new
lands, and passing beyond the region
OF assured and plentiful rainfall he
has, from time to time, invaded terri
tory where conditions were such as to
render it impossible for him in many
cases to retain his land and obtain
title to il. Years OF extreme drouth
and other conditions sometimes per-
manent in character. sometimes tenn
porary have often compellei him to
give up the struggle, and yet the
spirit Of the pioneer is so strong In
the breast of many OF these men
that after lapse OF a few years, dur
ing which time they have been to
somewhat recoup their fortunes, they
desire to again make an effort to seq
ure home on the public lands.
'These men make the best and
most successful homesteaders I'm the
region whsre conditions are trying
for til. pioneer. They have had ex-
perience which qualities them to cope
with the conditions more successfully
than the, man who has never made
the attempt and is unfamiliar with
conditions in the region in which he
desires tc settle.
In the past few years the adoption
of improved methods of cultivation
and the introduction OF crops suitable
to semi-arid regions have encouraged
the settlement of lands which few
years ago were considered valneless
except for grazing purposes. To cope
with the situation In such regions no
man is SO well qualified as he who has
had experience under Somewhat sim
liar circumstances.
This bill was referred to the sec
retary OF the interior, and his favora-
BILE report on the legislation accom-
panies and is made part Of this re-
port. y