Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-10-27
GENERAL NEWS Of NATIONAL HAPPENINGS
IRRIGATION LAWS IN EFFECT
Interior Department Makes Regula-
tions Under Acts of Congress.

INFERIOR Department Makes ReguIa-
tons Under Acts Of Congress.
Washington-The Interior depart
ment has just completed regulations
carrying into active operation various
laws passed at the last session of con-
gress affecting settlement and settlers
on government irrigation projects,
there being four such acts, all signed
by the president on various dates in
June, 1910. Section 5 of the 500, 000,-
600 irrigation bill contained provision
that no entryman may hereafter 90 up
on public lands reserved for irrigation
until the secretary of the interior has
established the farm unit and fixed the
water charges and the date when water
can be applied.
Local land officers are instructed, in
regard to this law, not to recognize
any settlement on such lands made af-
ter June 25, 1910, or to allow any en-
try thereof during the period of their
withdrawal until the conditions fixed
by the law have been complied with.
Existing entries are not affected by
this act, and where settlement was
made in good faith prior to June 25 on
lands embraced in second-form with
drawals, such entrymen may perfect
their entries.
Another act, signed June 25, grants
leave of absence to homesteaders on
government projects. The instruc-
tions relative to this law provide that
when an entryman on a project files in
the local land Office application for
leave of absence, the application, with
recommendations of the local officers,
shall be forwarded at once to the gen
eral land Office. These applications
for leave must be in the form of affi-
davit corroborated by two witnesses,
and must establish the good faith of
the entryman and set forth in detail
the character, extent and approximate
value of the improvements on the land,
which must satisfy the requirement of
the law that the entryman has made
substantial improvements, and must
show also that water is not available
for the irrigation of the entryman's
land.
When sufficient showing is made
leave of absence will be granted until
such time as water is available for
irrigation is turned into the main irri-
cation canals from which the land is
to be irrigated, or in the event that
the project is abandoned by the govern
ment, until the date of notice of such
and the restoration to the
public domain of the lands embraced in
the entry.
The effect of granting leave of abb
'ence under the law is to protect the
entry from contest for abandonment
md, by the necessary implication Of
he act, the period of seven years with
n which the entryman is required to
ubmit final five years proofs will be
and the entry will not be sub
ect to cancellation for failure to sub
nit proof until seven years from the
ate of entry, exclusive of the period
or which leave of absence may be
.ranted.
The instructions carrying out the act
t June %, 1910, permitting entrymen
n government projects to assign, read
s follows:
Under the provisions of this act
ersons who have made or may make
omestead entries subject to the rec
amation act may assign their entries
n their entirety at any time after FL
ng in the general land Office satisfac-
Dry proof of residence, improvements
nd cultivation for FIVE years required
y the ordinary provisions of the home {
tead law. The act also provides for
ne assignment of homestead entries in
art, but such assignments, if made
rior to the establishment of farm
nits, must be made in strict accord
nee with the legal subdivisions of the
ublic survey, and if made after such ;,
nits are established, must conform
hereto.