Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-02-05
Proposed Modification of Federal
Homestead LdWs Outlined at Length

of the same from the land Because
of the fact that the lands designated
VIII be principally valuable for graz
Ing land ana that the farming opera
lions VIII Ne limited 20 the growing 9t
forage, no specific requirement ISL
made as Go the cultivation Of the land,
but instead the entryman is required
10 place permanent improvements
upon the land entered, tending to IN
crease Us value for stock-raislng pur-
poses, Of not less than }l25 per acre,
one-half thereof to be placed on the
land within three years after entry
Those who have already entered lands
of this character under existing laws
n amounts Of less than $40 acres, or
who have acquired such limited areas
BIZ purchase from others, should, IN
my opinion, be placed on an equal
footing with those who make entry
after the passage Of this law, and pro-
vision has therefore been made for
the making OF additional entries fol
contiguous lands by such entrymen or
nnd owners. upon condition that the
ontryman or land owner rs the head
" "a family or has arrived ut the age
Of tWcnty~one years ana is citizen OF
The United states and resides upon
and occupies the land entered or
owned by him. In some cases II may
not DO possible for such entrymen
and land owners 10 exercise the right
IL additional entry because Of the fact
that no vacant lands adjoin. IN such
cases the bin provides for the surren-
der Of the lands SO held and owned
to the United states, after which the
party 80 rellnquishing or reconveyhis
may make original entry under ms
act Of not exceeding Gao acres OF land.
upon which he must comply with all
the requirements Of this act and Of
thc homestead laws This provision
viii cause an adjustment Of holdings
in such areas and the lands 50 sur
rendered TO the United states may IN
turn be entered BY the entrymen Of
owners Of tho adjoining tracts y
this connection, provision is made foi
kilt NNfi'i vi a. bifi'i 'iiNN AA7AiA ''
entry within ninety days after tbs
passage Of the act by the entrymen 81
owner Of adjoining land, and pro-
vision made that whore vacant lands
( contiguous to the tracts owned and
held by two or more persons entitled
Ito additional entry are not sufficient
\ Ia amount 10 enable each to secure tn,
maximum amount to which entitled
/ Tor an equitable division OF the lands
applied for among the several entry
men or owners. The purpose Of tbs
law being To secure the establishment
Of permanent homes upon the lane
entered, the bill provides that th'
communication provisions Of the home
stead laws shall not apply TO suci
entries. s bin introduced In th'
house OF representatives Oh K. 6655I
proposes 20 provide for "a erazini
homestead of not less than Gao acre
ana not exceeding i,2S0 acres in area
The bill herewith submitted is not Dc
signed 10 apply % OF provide for th'
entry of lands suitable only for graz
ing. The maXimum area permitted q
he entered hereunder and even th
maximum area prescribed i'm II. i
G637 would boz wholly insufficient to
the support OF a homesteader and hi
family upon lands Of that character
AS already explained the measure
have prepared is believed to b
adapted to lands which possess graz
Ing nluc. which also, in part at leasi
may hc utilized by the homcstcadc
for the raising of forage crops. !
would be an exceedingly difficult an
expensive task TO attempt nt this tim
rs classify and designate areas AM
blocks of land suitable only for graz
ing and set them apart for disposition
I'm arpas sufficient for the support @
"a family Existing appropriations an
the present force of the department
are wholly Inadequate for this pur
poso. III is believed that FOR the pres
ent this classification should he g.
compllshcd through the method al
ready described whereby the land
will be- opcn for disposition under tn
existing laws and under the bill herci
proposed, after which, with the intol
nation then before H. congress MA
enact such other and additional law
as may be determined 60 Doe bci
adapted To tho development and die
position of the remaining areas auita
BILE only for grazing.
As ntimotcd at tho beginning of th
letter believe that this parucula
bill will meet situation not cONere
by any of the existing land laws am
win result in the early development q
IA very large area of our public land
which win otherwise remain IN a
unlnhobited and uuproductyc cond
tlou
Respectfully,
"A. A. JONES,