The Parker post., 1913-11-15
LANE EXPLAINS
32O-ACRE LAW
PROCEDURE NECESSARY FOR AC-
QUlREMENTS OF ENLARGED
HOMESTEADS - NOT NECES-
SARY TO HIRE ATTORNEYS.

HOMESTEADS NOT NECES-
SARY TO HIRE ATTORNEYS.
The 320-acre homestead law, or,
as it is often called, the enlarged
homestead law, has made possible
the entry of many million acres of
dry land in the western states in
tracts double the size allowed under
the original law Only land which
has been designated" by the sec
retary of the interior as ''non-irri-
gable cam be entered under this act
More than 00,OO0,O00 acres have been
thus designated, but petitions and
sworn statements requesting further
designations are constantly being re-
ceived
In all interview just given out, Sc
retary Lane calls attention to the fact
that there appears to be considerable
misunderstanding among western
homesteaders as to procedure nee
essary in order that enlarged-home-
stead designations may be made.
Mr.. Lane states that only the sim
plest and most direct action by the
settlers is required, and that it is
wholly unnecessary for him to incur
the charges now made by attorneys
who draw up formal petitions that
are in fact no more effective than
the homesteader's own letter would
be. On this account brief statement
of the essential facts relative to the
enlarged homestead law is timely
The first enlarged homestead act
was approved February 10, 1909, and
as later amended provides that in
the states of Arizona, California, Col
orado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah,
Washington and Wyoming, any person
who is qualified to make entry under
the homestead laws may enter as
much as 800 acres of land which is
in reasonably compact body and Is
in non-mineral, non irrigable, un
reserved, and unappropriated, and
does not contain merchantable tim
ber. Before such entry can be made,
however, the land must be designa-
ted by the secretary of the interior
as not being, in his opinion, sucep-
tible of successful irrigation at a
reasonable cost from any known
source of water supply.
The work of classifying the lands
and determining what areas may be
considered non-irrigable has been as
signed by Secretary Lane to the Uni
ted States geological survey AL
though under the present ruling Of
the secretary, large areas may be des-
ignated as non-irrigable without rails
ing the question whether the land is
in other respects subject to home
and classifying these large areas nee
essarily proceeds rather slowly. In
addition to these so called ''blank-
et' designations, therefore, designa-
tions of smaller areas are made as
rapidly as their non-irrigable charac
ter is determined, including aras are
ter is decided, including areas whose
designation has been requested by in
dividual settlers for enlarged home
stead entry or for additional entry
ON tracts adjacent to their present
homestead entries.
No definite form of petition is re-
quired, but each applicant should be
limited as far as possible to the
specific tract desired for entry and
should contain description, by sec
ton, township, and range, OF the ap-
plicants original homestead entry
and date of this entry, as we'll as
a description, also by legal subdi-
of the land desired for ad-
ditional entry. Information as to the
possibility of irrigating the land
should also be furnished and should
include the distance and direction
of the nearest stream or existing of
irrigation canal, the eleva-
tion of the lowest point of the land
above such source of water supply,
depth at which water can be reach
I'd by wells sunk on the land, and
all available information concerning
attempts to obtain water by this me-
thod. The general character of the
land, both of the homesteader's orig
nal entry (if 1e has made one) and
Of the land desired for additional en-
try, should also be described, to aid
the survey in reaching a decision as
to it's non-irrigability.
The information should be embodied
in a letter sent to the Director, Uni