Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-06

| SItdSCI SuG oWuCb W SSOSS'
right and thorough reclamation OF
| the land by irrigation, and the
| payment Of SIPS per acre.
The donation or Carey act, I'M
der which the state select the
| land and provides for its reclan1a-
ton, and the title vests in the set
tier who resides upon the land and
cuItivates 1t and pays the cost OF
the reclamation.
| The national reclamation home
| stead law, requiring five years
residence and cultivation by the
settler on the land irrigated by
! the government, and payment by
him to the government OF the cost
Of the reclamation.
There are other acts, but not Of
sufficient general Importance to cal
| for mention unless it is the stone and
timber act, under which every lnd1
vidual, once in his lifetime, may &C
quire 100 acres Of land, II it has valu
able timber on it or valuable stone. by
paying the price of not less than $2.5t
per acre, fixed after examination OF
the stone or timber by a government
appraiser. In times past a great deal
of fraud has been perpetrated IN the
acquisition of lands under this act;
but it is now being much more strictly
enforced, and the entries made are sc
few in number that it seems to serve
no useful purpose and ought to be re
pealed.
The present congress passed bill
| 40 WI coxynrine tho own.
ership of coal by the government IN
the ground from the surface. and per
hitting homestead entries upon the
surface Of the land, which, when per
fected, give the settler the right to
farm the surface, while the coal be
meath the surface is retained in own
ership by the government and may be
disposed of by it under Other laws.
There is no crying need for radical
reform in the methods Of disposing OF
what are really agricultural lands
The present laws have worked well
The enlarged homestead law has en-
couraged the successful farming OF
lands in the semiarid regions. OF
course teachings of the agricultural
department as to how these subarlc
lands may be treated and the soil pre-
served for useful culture are or tine
very essence OF conservation. Their
conservation of agricultural lands is
shown in the reclamation of arid lands
by'irrigation and should devote few
words to what the government mas
done and is doing in this regard.
Government Reclamation.
BY the reclamation act a fund has
been created of the proceeds of thu
public lands Ct the United States will
which to construct works for STORING
great bodies Of water at proper altl
tudes from which. by a suitable sys
TEN Of canals and bitches, the waite
is to be distributed over the arid AM
subarid lands of the government to b
sold to settlers at price sufficient T.
pay for the improvements. Primarily
the projects are and must be for tn
improvement of public lands. Inc
4 dentally. where private land is ais
within the reach of the water supply
the furnishing at cost or profit OF TIL
4 water to private oU~ers by the go,
eminent is held by the federal cour
OF appeals not to be usurpation g
power. But certainly this ought nc
4 to be done except from surplus watel
not needed for government lant
4 About 80 projects have been set o
foot distributed through the publ
land states in accord with the statute
Iby which the allotments from the n
clamation fund are required to be a
near as practicable in proportion to tn
proceeds from the sale of the publ
lands in the respective states. Tn
total sum already accumulated in tn
Proclamation fund is $6o.273.25S.22, an
of that all but $6,491 1854 has bee
4 expended. 1t became very clear
congress at it's last session, from tn
statements made by experts, that thes
80 projects could not be promptly con
: pleted with the balance remaining o
hand or with the funds likely
accrue in the near future. 1t wa
found. moreover, that there are man
settlers who have been led into takin
up lands with the hope and unde
standing of having water furnished
la short time, who are left in mos
distressing situation. | recommends
to congress that authority be given
the secretary of the interior to issu
bonds. in anticipation of the assure
earnings by the projects, SO that tn
projects, worthy and feasible. migf
be promptly completed. and the Sc
tiers might be relieved from thel
present inconvenience and hardship
In authorizing the issue Of thes
bonds. congress limited the applicatio
of their proceeds to those project
which board of army engineers, to b
appointed by the president, should e:
anime and determine to be feasibl
and worthy of completion. The boar
has been appointed and soon will max
its report.
4 States Should Drain swamps.
Suggestions have been made thu
the United States ought to aid in tn
drainage of swamp lands belonging
the states or private owners, becaus
If drained, they would be exceeding
valuable for agriculture and contribu'
to the general welfare by extendin
the area of cultivation. deprecate tn
agitation in favor of such Legislation
1t is inviting the general governmeI
into contribution from it's treasury t
ward enterprises that should be CO.
Quoted either by private capital or
the instance Of the state. In these day
: there is a disposition to look too muc
; ito the federal government for ever