The Parker post., 1912-04-27
THE BRENNAN BILL.

ne pStoSdSS ny CHe OIdCS VI All
zona Of H. B. No. 6, which provides
for the acceptance by the State of
Arizona of the benefits of the Acts of
Congress regarding the desert lands,
etc, is of vital importance to the
opening and settlement of the Colo
RADIO River Indian Reservation, COM
prising approximately 100000 acres
Of land lying along the Colorado river
at Parker.
The urgent necessity for the enact
ment by Arizona of a suitable law
providing for the acceptance of what
are generally known as the National
Carey land laws arises, in this in
stance, from the peculiar circum
stances involved in the reclamation
and opening of this particular body
of land, which for fertility and rich
ness rivals that of the famous River
Nile.
A brief history of the struggles of
the people of Parker for the opening
of these lands is necessary to under
stand the relief which would be ac-
complished by the passage of H. B.
No. 6, under which act these lands
would become available to entry and
settlement at an early date.
By the Act of Congress of April 81
1904, (33 Stats. 224), certain Indian
allOtments in the Colorado River Res
ervation We're authorized to be made,
the remaining portion of the irrigable
lands to be disposed of by the Rec
tion Act According to this Act, the
Secretary of the Interior rendered a
decision in October, 1910, upon the
petition of the Parker Board of Trade
and numerous citizens of Parker, to
the effect THAT NO PORTION OF
THESE LANDS CAN BE OPENED
UNTIL AIN IRRIGATION ENTER
PRISE HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN
WHICH MAY MAKE POSSIBLE, in
CONNECTION WITH THE RECLAIM
ALTON OF OTHER LANDS, THE
RECLAMATION OF ALL OR ANY
PORTION OF THE IRRIGABLE
LANDS CONTAINED WITHIN THE
RESERVATION.
In this decision the secretary of
the interior further stated that the
Reclamation Service did not have the
money to undertake this work, and
until some other means were provid-
ed for the reclamation of the lands
they could not be opened to entry.
About the time this decision was
rendered there was pending in Con-
gress bill providing for the reclama.
tion of the reservation lands under
the Carey land laws, and the secre-
tary stated that the passage of this
bill would permit their opening to
settlement. Owing to the pressure
of business at the close of the 61st
Congress only that portion. of the bill
granting the privilege to the Greeley
Arizona Irrigation company to con-
Struct a diversion dam, succeeded in
passing Congress.
According to the decision of the
secretary the Parker lands cannot be
opened under the homestead laws, that
is, permitting individual settlers t,
enter upon the lands and homestead
them. 1t is the policy of the govern
ment not to open large and compact
bodies of irrigable lands only wher.
the reclamation of the whole tract is
possible under one irrigation system.
This is deemed a wise policy for
the reason that the average settler
is unable to finance his own irriga-
ton works without hypothecating his
land in some manner and under the
homestead laws he is unable to do
this until patent has been issued by
the government. Until patent has
been received by the settler he is
unable to borrow money, because a
lender would not loan him money
unless the borrower is in a position
to mortgage his land for security.
The western deserts are strewn
with abandoned ranches, showing
the fruitless efforts on the part of
settlers who attempted to reclaim
their hOmesteads on little or no cap
ital. If the Parker lands were to be
opened under the homestead laws, as
suming that this were possible, the
average settler who filed on them
would be unable to individually re-
claim them for some years to come.
While water may be secured at shall
10I depth a pumping proposition
would be an expensive luxury on the
desert where fuel is so high.
A gravity system of irrigation, es-
pecially along the Colorado river, is
fer cheaper than pumping water onto
tho 1andc Tho On1U ocOnomioo1 yuoy "