Bisbee daily review., 1911-12-28
ENTRY RULES
 ISSUE ID ALL
in Compliance of Requests from Many HomeSteaderS
 to Interior Department
RULINGS ARE lMPOR rANT

WASHINGTON. Dec. 27.-m com. pliance with the requests of numerous settlers on the irrigation projects og the government the secretary of the interior has issued the following res ulatioR governing the subdivision or farm units.
 l. A homestead entryman subject Co the reclamation act may relinquish a part of his farm unit and have the payments which had been made oa the relinQuished part credited to the charges or the retained mart, provided that the amendment ln question may he allowed without jeopardizing the interests Of the government in the col lection of the charges against the DOT ton of the tract rclinquished.
 7. The entrymau 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 TO objection, will proceed as in other cases O. proposed amendments of farm units
 This ruling is regarded as one or the most important of recent years relating to the reclamation work ls is a confirmation also Of the predic- ton which tie officials of the bureau made several years ago that the great est successes on the reclamation proJ- ects would be those on the small farms. The requests for permission to subdivide thelr farms comes almost 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 vast ing his energy time, and capital in an attempt Co subdue his farm, and nov finds the burden too great for him to meet the charges for building, opera ton and extra labor, the small farm CTS as a general rule have prospered and are slowly but suTely gaining a competence.
 Mistaken Efforts Employed.
 Strong influence was brought to bear upon the department in the Ee- ginning to fix the farm units at noc less than l60 acres. Every effort was made to convince tle department that man cCuld not make a living on less than this acreage The most in. fiUsntial advocates ot the large farm were the prominent farmers and busi- ness men in each of these cOmmUni- ties. In this connection Q recent let ter from Col Fl. W Rowley, the pres ident Of the Billings chamber Of com merce, is particularly interesting in view of the fact that until recently he was apparently in doubt as to the small farm idea:
 T am most earnest in favoring the al a init fr,1-H r ka. country. The forty acre farm unit as established on the Huntiey q. 5. re- clamation project has proved d great success, and as a whole. it is per. haps today the most prosperous sec ton in our country, due entirely to the small farm units. Our experience certainly Is that the small twenty to forty acre farmer is as a rule sue cessful, while the large units are not
 One of the most important prob lens that our chamber of commerce will deal with during the next year will be 10 educate our people to the advantage Of the small farm unit de voted to the diversified farming When this is brought about We will have g wonderfully productive country eapa- ! ble Of sustaining a cry large popuia- tion Of successful home builders"
 Yours very truly, | Signed II. w. ROWLEY.
 On some of the projects. the de partment, yielding in part 10 the i'm portunities of the people, fixed the units al SO and 4o acres each, and | has often since had occasion to regret ' that it did not insist upon the small | CT unit
 l The new ruling, however will go | far to correct the mistake which was i then made, because it will encourage the subdivision of the large units and will relieve che farmers Of portion | Of the charges now assessed against ! them. lt will accordingly make fol more intensive cultivation Of the lanc { which they retain, will eliminate tht ] expenses in part of the hired help and will insure larger returns iron the lands m crops. It increases th' number Of farm families, as each re