The Raymer enterprise., 1913-12-18
new LAND MEASURES
AFFECT SETTLEMENT OF GOV.
EMINENT LANDS.
Many CoIoradoans Are Interested In
Bills Introduced in Congress. by
Representative Taylor.
western Newspaper Union New. Service.

"aSnlnStOn.-SeNeTa DlllS dtleCt
ing the settlement OF government
lands in Colorado have been intro
duced In Congress by Representative
r. T. Taylor, and referred to commit
tees where they will be the subjects
OF Investigation during the next few
weeks. Roughly listed they include:
A proposed law authorizing sumIEeI
homestead entries.
Designation OF arid lands where
continuous residence shall not be re
Quired under the homestead Law.
Government camping sites along
public highways.
Reduction OF annual payments OF en-.
trymen under irrigation projects.
Second homestead and desert land
entries.
Probably no more important meas.
ures for the benefit OF the western
pioneers have been introduced during
the past three years. Representative
Taylor asserts that the bills have all
been carefully drawn and that some OF
them have had the inspection and ap
proval OF the officials OF the interior
department; that he intends to push
them vigorously in the public land
and irrigation committees. In which he
Is 4 member.
The project for a summer home
stead is intended for persona desiring
to own and improve wild tracts for
the location OF their summer homes.
ANY person entitled to the benefits OF
the homestead law may enter not to
exceed forty acres OF any public
land within or without the forest re-
serves and acquire title thereto by
making Improvements thereon to the
value of $1,000 and maintain residence
OF not less then two months during
each OF three successive summers.
On tracts OF land where there is
not a sufficient water supply for do
nestle purposes, as would make con-
tinuous residence impossible, the bill
proposes that acquisition shall be al.
lowed under the enlarged homestead
act without the necessity OF residence.
The bill provides that entrymcn on
any such entry shall In good faith cul,
tivate not less than one-siSteenth Of
the entire area OF his entry, begin.
ming with the second year OF the en-.
try. and not less than one-eighth, be-
ginning with the third year OF the en-.
try and Intil final proof, and that af-
ter entry and until final proof the en-.
tryman shall reside within such dis.
tance OF said land as will enable him
to successfully farm the same.
The bill he relief OF irrigation
project Sc Provides that on such
projects Y Grand Valley system
about to be constructed, no annual
payment shall be required during the
first five years after the water Is fur.
nished to settlers under the project.
During the next five years the annual
charge per acre shall be s. and dur.
ing the succeeding five years the an.
nual charge shall be 50 per acre.
Thereafter the annual charge shall be
81 an acre until the entire amount
due the government is paid. IL Is
provided that no interest charges
shall be collected, The bill. Taylor
asserts, will give the relief settlers
under these projects long have been
seeking.
lY order TO preserve in the govern.
ment the title TO convenient spots for
campers along the public highways,
Representative Taylor proposes that
tracts not to exceed forty acres shall
he set aside and maintained by the
government solely for the use OF way.
farers who annually in the summer.
time travel over the western states
with their outing equipments.
II has been the ambition OF west.
ern congressman, for several years
to evolve law that will compensate,
by allowing additional homosteads
those persons who have taken UP
homesteads but who have forfeited
them through no fault OF their own.
From no less than four separate re.
ports on as many bills made by the
secretary Of the interior, Representa-.
tive Taylor has made up measure
which 1t is believed will stand the
test OF legislation. Persons OF the
disappointed class, through this pro.
posed law, are given the full hene.
fits OF the homestead and desert land
acts as though there former entries
have never been made. The appll.
cants must demonstrate to the seCre
tary Of the interior that their prior
entries were made In good faith and
were lost or forfeited because OF mat,
ters beyond their control, and tha,
there has been no speculation OF
fraud.