The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-02-26
ENLARGED HOMEST'D
COnferees on the Bill Providing
for This Have Agreed. Senate
Has Adopted Their Report.

l SAcdu al tHis SCSsiuu ~ Will bI ICmCtH
bered that at the last session the western
members conferred and drafted bill in
creasing the homestead to gao acres.
passed the house aud senate. the latte
body putting on some amendments which
we're not acceptable to the house. Confer
ence committees were appointed to adjus
the difference but their report has beer
| just made and il is complete one. Tn,
report has been presented to the two houses
and If objection does not crop out the &C
will be passed before the session closes
| As agreed to by the conferces. who wer.
Senator Smoot. Clark and McLaurin ant
Representatives Mondeli. volstead ant
Robinson. the act reads as follows:
That any person who is qualified en-
tryman under the homestead law Of the
United States may enter. by legal subdivi
sions, under the provisions of this act, in
the states of Colorado. Montana. Nevada
Oregon. Utah. Washington and Wyoming
and the territories Of Arizona and New
Mexico. 3ao acres, or less. of non-mineral.
non.irrigable. nnrescrved and unappropri-
ated surveyed public lands which do not
contain merchan,able timber. located in a
reasonable compact body. and not over I !.
mile. in extreme length: provided, that no
land shall be subject to entry under the
provision OF this act until such lands shall
Ia haa Iset ,al kxy he .,f
the interior as not being, in his opinion.
susceptible OF successful irrigation at rea-
sonable cost from any known source of
water supply.
Sec. 2. That any person applying to
enter land under the provision of this act
shall make and subscribe before the proper
officer an affidavit. as required by section
22oo of the revised statutes. and in addi-
tion thereto shall make affidavit that the
land sought to be entered Is OF the charac-
ter described IN section Of this act and
shall pay the fees now required to be paid
under the homestead laws
Sec. ). That any me e d entryman
of lands of the character herein described.
upon which final proof has not been made.
shall have the right to enter public lands.
subject to provision OF this act. contiguous
to his former entry which shall not to-
gether with the original entry exceed gao
acres. and residence upon and cultivation
OF the original entry shall be deemed as re-
sidence upon and cultivation of the addi-
tional entry.
"Sec. 4. That the time of making final
proofs. as provided in section zzoI of the
revised statutes. the entryman under this
act shall, in addition to the proofs and afti-
davits required under the said section. prove
by two credible witnesses that al least
one-eighth Of the area embraced 10 his entry
was continuously cultivated to agricultural
crops other than native grasses beginning
with the second year of the entry. and that
AT least one-fourth of the area embraced
in the entry was so continuously beginning
with the third yea Of the entry.
Sec. S. That nothing herein contained
shall be held to affect the right Of quail
fled entryman TO make homestead entry In
the states named in section I OF this act.
under the provisions OF section 22se of the
revised statutes. but. no person who has
made entry under this act shall be entitled
to take homestead entry under the provi-
sion OF said section. and no entry under
this act shall be commu,ed.
Sec. 6. That whenever the secretary
of the interior shall find that any tracts Of
land in the state OF Utah. subiec, to entry
under tins act. do not have upon them such
a sufficient supply of water suitable for
domestic purposes as would make contin-
uous residence upon the lands possible. he
may. in his discretion designate such tracts
Of land. not to exceed in the aggregate
q. 600 COO acres and thereafter they shall be
subject to entry under this act without the
necessity Of residence: provided. that in
such event the entryman on any such
entry shall in good faith cultivate not less
than one.eighth Of the entire area Of the
entry during the second year. ne-fourth
during the third year. and one-half during
the fourth and fifth years after the date Of
such entry. and that after entry and until
final proof the entryman shall reside with
in such distance Of said land as will enable
him successfully to farm the same as re-
quired by this section"
On motion Of Senator Smoot the senate
adopted the conference report. so that the
only thing now necessary that the Law may
be changed so as TO provide for enlarged
IS that the house shall also
agree and the president sign the bill.