The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1913-01-30
FRENCH AND THE
HOMESTEAD LAW
q homestead Filings Are Increasing
Addison T. Smith Urges Claims Of
West For Secretary Of Interior
Other Washington News.

sentative french mas had up with the
Interior Department the various pha
ses of the three year homestead law
approved in 1912 that have proven tt
be unsatisfactory, as the law has
been administered, with the view Of
having some course adopted by the
Department that would relieve the sit
uation in such parts of the West as
have been placed under serious handi
cap by the provisions of the law touch
Ing CIVILIZATIONS The law as passed
authorizes the Secretary of the Inter
Tor upon satisfactory showing to pro-
vide rules and regulations under which
the area required for cultivation IN
the law may be reduced The Secre-
tary of the Interior has not seen fit
to prepare any rules or regulations un-
der this provision of the law and ap.
parently the Department desires that
each particular case shall be deter
mined upon the merits attaching
thereto.
Mr. French has urged that the one
Important thing desired by homeste ad-
ers and to which they are abundantly
entitled is definite information on
the subject of what the Department
will require at the time the homestead
er makes entry. The uncertainty Of
what the Department will require is
Objectionable from every point of view.
If the Department will define that
which will be required or expected of
the settlers, the latter will have some
thing to work to and can see in ad-
vance whether or not they will be able
to meet the conditions and require
ments imposed.
With the view of meeting the situa.
ton, Representative French has pre-
pared and introduced bill directing
that improvements other than cultiva-
ton to the extent of $3.50 per acre
per year shall be accepted by the De-
partment. Mr.. French'd bill provides,
however, that under the enlarged
homestead act the improvements need
be but 75c per acre so that the same
amount Of improvements shall be re.
Quired of homestead entrymen under
the regular homestead law or the en-
larged homestead law. Under Mr..
French's bill improvements that may
be made and that will be accepted in
lieu Of cultivation required under the
act of 1912. include slashing, clearing,
fencing, erection of buildings, setting
out Of trees for orchard, and other
improvements tending to make the
homestead entry habitab!e and capable
of production. This is the first bill
that has been introduced lookingto the
modification of section of the law
of 1912 that in the absence of reason
able construction by the Interior De-
partment promises to be altogether too
severe upon the homesteader and Mr.
French is anxious that his bill be pas.
sed at the earliest possible date
It is quite certain that Mr.. French's
bill will be opposed by the Interior
Department and of this Mr.. French is
fully advised, consequently the Bill if
enacted will need to pass over the op-
position that will be directed against
It by the Department Of Government
having charge of administering the
land laws.
That homesteaders very generally
are taking advantage of the Borah-
Jones homestead law is shown con-
clusively by the records of the General
Land office here. Out of the 1O2
district land offices, AZ have reported
an increase of over 100 per cent in
the number of final proofs submitted
for the five months ending November
30. 1912, over the same period in 1911,
while only II report no increase. due
to local conditions. Forty-seven Of
fices report a large increase during
the remainder Of the fiscal year Only
four offices report a decrease. Natur-
ally in districts where the entries were
largely made number Of years ago
and where the entrymen were nearing
the time when they could submit final
proof under the old five-year law at
the time Of the approval of the new
one, they went ahead and perfected
their entries under the old law, so
that in such districts but little If any
increase is shown. In Idaho the five
district land offices all show remark
able percentage Of increase in the mat
ter of proofs submitted during the
period named. The Blackfoot land Of
flee In particular shows an increase OF
567 per cent, while Boise shows an in
crease Of IS per cent, Occur d'Alene