The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-02-24

washington, Feb 2O.-Two acts of
immense moment received otncial
sanction in Washington today. One
was the signing of a bill which is de-
signed to make the arid regions bios
SOM The other was making possible
a greater irrigated area on the west
ern slope.
The first was the signing of the
MondeIl bill By President Roosevelt.
Thus aspirants for homesteads who
care to brave arid districts and at
tempt to raise crops without irrlga-
ton now apply for double the amount
of land allotted homesteaders where
irrigation is possible or rainfall IS
plentiful The bill gives to qualified
entrymen under the homestead laws
the right to take UP 800 acres of non
mineral, non-irrigable public land. The
land must not bear merchantable TIM
Der and must be in reasonable COM
pact body, not more than one and one
half miles in length.
This law is to apply only in Colora-
do, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah
Washington, Wyoming, Arizona and
New Mexico.
The measure expressly provides
that only those whose homestead right
has not been used may take UP these
32O acre farms. The original bill pro-
vided than any pioneer of the prai-
ries might increase his farm to 320
acres by taking up the dry land, but
the provision was stricken out. There
is a clause, though which permits
farmer who is living on $50 acre
homestead of non-irrigable Land on
which NAL proof has not been made
to increase his holdings to 320 acres
of that class of land.
The new law makes exceptions IN
Utah by providing that entrymen need
not necessarily live on the lands TO
make final proof, but within such dis
tance as will enable them to farm it
successfully. Not to exceed 1000 900
acres of this class of land is to be sub
ject to entry in Utah.
At the time of final proof on the
new 320-acre homeSteads an entryman
in addition to proofs ordinarily requir-
ed under homestead laws, shall prove
by two reliable witnesses that at least
one-eighth of the area embraced in his
entry was cultivated continuously to
agricultural crops other than native
grasses beginning with the second
year of entry, and that at least one
fourth of the area embraced in the en-
try was cultivated so continuously
beginning with the third year OF en-
try.
The MondelI Bill.
InaL any person WHO Is d 4uoAAhCo
entryman under the homestead laws
of the United States may enter, by
legal subdivisions, under the provls-
ions of this act, in the states of Colo
RADIO. Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah
Washington and Wyoming and the ter
ritories of Arizona and New Mexico,
320 acres, or less, of non mineral, non
lfrfgable, unreserved and unappro-
priated surveyed public lands which
do not contain nerchantable timber,
located in a reasonably compact body,
not over one and one-haf miles in ex-
treme length: Provided, That nc
lands shall be subject to entry under
the provisions of this act until such
lands shall have been designated by
the secretary of the interior as not
being, in his opinion, susceptible lo
Irrigation at reasonable cost from
any known source of water supply.
Sec. 2-That any person applying
to enter land under the provisions OF
this act, shall make and subscribe
before the proper officer an afddavl'