Arizona republican., 1911-12-27
Secretary of the Interior Makes an Important Order for Irri-
 gated Lands SIZE OF UNITS
 IS CUT DOWN It is Believed in Washing ton the Rule Will Meet With Gen
 eral Favor
INfcciaI CorrcSbOndcHctl

WASHINGTON. D. C., Dee. 26.-ln compliance with the requests of nu- merous settlers on the irrigation pro- iects of the government the secretary of the interior has issued the follow ing regulation governing the sub division of farm units:
 l. homestead entryman subject to the reclamation act may relinquish part of his farm unit and have the payments which have been made on the relinquished part credited to the charges on the retained part, provided that the amendment in question may he allowed without jeopardizing the interests of the government in the collection of the charges against the portion of the tract relinquished.
 3 The entryman desiring to make such relinquishment should submit his application therefor to the project engineer. who will transmit the same with his recommendation through the proper channels to the director. who, if he finds no objection. will proceed as in other cases of proposed amend mentS of farm units.
 This ruling is regarded as one of the most important of recent years | relating to the reclamation work. It is a confirmation also Of the predic- tion which the officials of the bu- reau made several years ago. that the ] greatest successes on the reclamation projects would be those on the small g-f.. to suDdivide their farms comes all most without exception from the men who have taken up land in excess of their ability and means to cultivate. While the large land holder has been wasting his energy. time and capital in an attempt to subdue his farm. and now finds the burden too great for him tG meet the charges for build ing. operation and extra labor. the small farmers. as a general rule. have Prospered and are slowly but surely gaining d competence.
 Strong influence was brought to bear upon the department in the be- ginning to fix the farm units at not less than 1e0 acres. Every effort was made to convince the department that a man could not make living on less than this acreage. The most influential advocates of the largr farm were the prominent farmers and business men in each of these com munities In this connection a recent letter from Colonel H. w Rowley. the president of the Billings Cham Der of Commerce. is particularly in tereStiuG. in view of the fact that until recently he was apparently in doubt as to the small farm idea;
 T am most earnest in favorinS the small farm unit for this section of the country. The forty-acre farm unit as established on the Huntlev '. =. reclamation project. has proved a great success. and. as a whole. it k perhaps today the most prosperous section in our country due entirely to the small farm units Our eXpe- rience certainly is that the small twenty or fOrty-acre farmer is. as a rule. successful, while the large ulits are not
 one of the most important prob lemS that our Chamber of Commerce will deal with during the next year will he tn educate our people to the eihN fti'Nef- VI Liit SllAdtt dIll uiill ue- voted to diversified farming When this is brought about We will have a wonderfully productive country. cap able of sustaining a very large popu- iation of successful home builders
 Yours very truly.
 (SigneD III. w. ROWI.EY.
 On some of the projects. the de- partmert. yielding in part to the iul- portunities of the people fixed the units at SO and 40 acres each. and has often since had occasion to re- gret that it did not insist upon the smaller unit
 The new ruling. however. will So far tO correct the mistake which has been made. because it will encourage the subdivision of the large units and will relieve the farmers O. portion of the charges now assessed against them It will accordingly make for more intensive cultivation of the land which they retain will eliminate the expenses in part of the hired help. and will insure larger returns of farm families. as each relinquishmentS will provide for a new home on the land.