Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1913-09-12
NEW HOMESTEAD AID
ENTRYMEN MAY BE PERMITTED
TO REDUCE AREA OF LAND
TO BE CULTIVATED.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT NEW RULING
Poor Land Considered-Personal Dis
abilities After Entry Just Cause
for Relaxation Of Law-Thou-
sands Will Be Benefited.

Washington.-The interior depart
ment announces an amendment of it's
homestead regulations whereby an en-
tryman may be permitted to reduce
the area of land to be cultivated,
This reduction will BID permitted
where the land is found to be imprac-
ticable of cultivation or good only for
grazing purposes. Personal disabili-
ties or misfortunes after entry and
actual settlement also will be deemed
sufficient cause to grant reductions.
No decrease will be permitted because
of expense in clearing timber from
the land.
Several thousand homesteaders on
logged-off, billy and rough or rocky
lands in the northwest are benefited
by this liberal revision of regulations
for administration of the three-year
homestead law. In the amended regu-
,lations the secretary of the interior
admits that experience has proved
that the regulations issued February
10, 1913, with reference to a reduction
in cultivation requirements under the
three-year law have been made too
difficult for settlers to prove up in
many cases.
While the new regulations make
plain no intention to allow settlers to
evade residence requirements, the CON
dition of land and difficulties of cul-
tivation are to be taken into consid-
GRAFTON. If the tract entered is so
billy or rough, or soil to alkaline,
compact, sandy or swampy as to make
cultivation difficult or the moisture
so light as to make cultivation not
practicable, or if land is valuable
chiefly for grazing purposes, a reduc-
ton in the cultivation area will be
permitted without so much red tape
as has heretofore been the rule.
Personal or financial difficulties of
entrymen existing at the time of entry
will not be considered sufficient cause
for reduction of cultivation require
ments, but misfortunes arising after
settlement which could not be fore.
seen at the time of entry will be con
sidered sufficient for relief on proper
showing. Tilling of land for the pur-
pose of conserving moisture for the
succeeding year will be cultivation
within the terms of the act. No reduc
ton will be permitted ON account OF
expense in removing standing timber
because if the lands are so heavily
timbered that settlers can not reason
ably clear and cultivate such entries
will be considered speculative and not
made in good faith for the purposes OF
obtaining a home.
Opposes Borah Bill.
Enlarged homestead entries have the
; same standing as other homesIeads
under amended regulations.
Settlers will be required to make
a showing of conditions to the depart
ment Decisions of the commissioner
general of the land office granting OF
refusing applications for reduction o
cultivation will be subject to appea
to the secretary of the interior.
In connection with these more lib
eral regulations Secretary Lane hal
signed an adverse report on the Boral
bill recently passed by the senate, al
lowing settlers to make a showing O
$3.50 for improvements in lieu of eacl
acre of cultivation not accomphshe,
by the time for making final proof.