Arizona republican., 1913-12-04
Departmental Order Cuts Down Public Land Hold ings to One-quarter-Or- der Affects Three Classes of Lands Differently
IMPROVED LANDS
 BACK TO THE r. S
Ruling Most Important ill Many Years Affects Large Acreage in Salt River Nalley-WithdraWn Until Project Opens

Convinced that an area Of forty acres Of irrigated land in the Salt River project is sufficient to support a family. the secretary of the interior q few days ago fixed at that amount the acres permissible to hOmesteaders under this project, transmitted the information in letter to President Orme of the Water Users association, and the people of the valley yester- day became aware of the most inn portant official departmental ruling in years. Between 10000 and 3O,OO0 acres of land will be affected, and several thousand homesteaders, or holders of unpatented proVed-up land, will be compelled to rid themselves by re- inquishment to the government or assignment of all their excess land.
 Confidence had almost been re- stored that the department would not lower the limit of the homesteads be- low that of the private land farm unit of 160 acres. The news of the order came as a distinct shock to many landholders, especially those who have but lately entered upon great obliga- tions on the south side, under the new Western canal
 The ruling will react upon the three classes of public land in three differ ent ways:
 Class Land not vet entered under the reclamation act. This land, of which but few acres remain within the borders of the project, may not now be filed upon for homesteads big ger than forty acres.
 Class 2-Land not yet proved up under either the three or five-year laws This land vii be clipped down until no present entryman holds more than 40 acres. Excess acreages will be relinquished to the government without compensation.
 Class 3-Land that has been proved up since the passage of the reclama- ton act in 1902, and on which the has issued certificates pending the opening of the project and the payment of the first annual assessment for it's cost. thus permit ting the issue of a patent. Owners, or rather holders. of this sort Of land may assign for compensation ther excess holdings to anyone to whom the land may be transferred legally.
 This order may have an important bearing on the work of the survey hoard" declared F. l.. Hanna, it's chairman. ltSI IlSlll. lo 4AN 1N'N' know in what way the effect might he evident. It was suggested that land withdrawn from class ,. and which must be held out until the project is opened might be opened again as desert land. the survey board usfne this excess to cover some of that unknown acreage which must be excluded to cut the project down to the size of it's water supply. Either the desert or the stone land acts may he invoked in entering this land.
 MT. Hanna explained that the plats showing the farm units would be Verl- fled bv MT Parish as soon as the nrasent rush of the survey boards work is over-in about three weeks on the approval of the plats by the director of the United States reclama- ton service and the land offcie m Washington. they will be printed ana sent back to the land office Tn Phoe- nix. Notice will then be issued to the holders of public land that they have 9 certain time-thirty or sixty days ae the department may fiX-in which to conform their holdings to the or der. In ease they do not act, Pro feet Manager Fitch will be empowered to select for them.
 On the other hand. land that is re-
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