The state herald., 1913-12-19
NEW LAND MEASVl'
AFFECT SETTLEMENT OF a.
ERNMENT LANDS,
Many coloradoans Are lnterest.A 4
Bills introduced In Congress b
Representative Taylor.
western Newspaper Union News servlt,

Washington.-Seyeral bills attn
ing the settlement Of goverun,.
lands In Colorado have been Inn,
duced In Congress by Represents,
q. T. Taylor, and referred to compt
tees where they will be the subjse.
of Investigation during the next h,
weeks. Roughly listed they includs,
A proposed law authorizing SUNNI.
homestead entries.
Designation of arid lands whn
continuous residence shall not be \
quired under the homestead law.
Government camping sites aou
public highways.
Reduction of annual payments Of a
trymen under irrigation projects.
Second homestead and desert aa
entries.
Probably no more important meu
ures for the benefit Of the weston
pioneers have been introduced durill
the past three years. Representatn
Taylor asserts that the bills have al
been carefully drawn and that some d
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 b
Is q member.
The project for q summer home
stead is intended for persons desiring
to own and improve wild tracts for
the location Of their summer homea
Any person entitled to the benefits Of
the homestead lew 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 10
not sufficient water supply for DO
mestic purposes, as would make con |
tinuous residence impossible. the bill
proposes that acquisition shall be al
act without the necessity Of residence.
The bill provides that entrymen on
any such entry shall, In good faith cul-
tivate not less than one-sixteenth o.
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 until final proof. and that at.
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 for the relief of irrigation
project settlers provides that on such
projects as the 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 81 and dur.
ing the succeeding five years the an
nual charge shall be SO per acre,
Thereafter the annual charge shall be
$4'an acre until the entire amount
due the government is paid. It 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.
In 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
be 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 n law that will compensate.
by allowing additional homestcads.
homestcads 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 tho
secretary OF tho interior. Representa-.
tive Taylor has made up u measure
which II Is believed will stand the
test OF legislation. Persons OF the
disappointed class. through this pro
posed law. are given the full bono.
fits Of tho homestead and desert land
acts A. though there former entries
have never been made. The appli.
cants must demonstrate to the secre'
tary OF tho interior that their prior
entries werc made In good faith and
were lost or forfeited because Of mat.
tcrs beyond their control. and that