The Alaska daily empire., 1914-03-14
JANE OUTLINES PLANS FOR MORE ALASKA RAILROADS
WlCKERSHAM'S NEW
 LAND BILL HERE

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 Copies of the comprehensive land bill introduced in the national House of Representatives by Delegate James Wickersham, proposing to change the land laws of the country in their appli- cation to Alaska, have been received.
 Creates Land Districts.
 The bill provides for the creation of four land districts in Alaska with land offices at Juneau, Valdez. Fairbanks and Nome, with one man, to be known as a register and receiver, to be in charge of each office. The power is given the Presidnet to change the lo- cation of any or all of the land offices at his pleasure. The salary of the register and receiver is fixed at $4,OO0.
 Extends Homestead Laws.
 It is provided that the homestead laws of the United States where not in conflict with the bill shall be ex- tended to Alaska, subject to such reg ulations as shall be made by the Sec retary of the Interior.
 The bill provides that no lieu-land selections pertaining to any land grant outside the Territory of Alaska can be made in Alaska, and that uo other land script or land warrant of any kind shall be located within the Territory except such as is now pro- vided by law and that under no circum- stance can more than 160 acres be located in a single body.
 It is provided that the bill shall in no wise effect the shore line provision of existing statutes.
 Homesteads Limited to 16o Acres.
 Homesteads are limited to l6O cres or less and the right to take them is extended to any person who is en- titled to take a homestead under the existing laws of the country. If the land located by a homesteader is not surveyed it must be selected in a rec tangular form not exceeding one r 2 in length and must be bounded by line running north and south and east ar west, and each of the four cornc,o must be marked.
 It is provided that the fact that a citizen of the United States or one. who has declared his intention of be- coming such has made homestead en- try elsewhere in the United States will not bar him from taking a homestead in Alaska.
 The bill provides that homesteaders may have leaves of absence for six months of each year from their claims.
 The privilege of committing a home stead after three years from the date of location is provided. In case otI commutatIon the settler must pay $i.25I per acre for the land.
 A settler is given the right 10 sell parts of his holdings for church. cem- etery or school purposes or for rights of way for railroads, telegraphs or tel egraph lines, canals, ditches or res ervoirs.
 Protects Shore Lands.
 It is provided that no soldiers addi' tional homestead scrip can be located on tide or shore lands, nor abuttingI on the seashore, nor upon the banks of any navigable stream nor within one mile of any such seashore or naviga- ble stream.
 Land for Schools.
 Sections 16 and 36 of each town ship are reserved for school purposes, and they must be held until the Ter ritory shall have become a State be- fore they may be sold. Where those sections, when the lands are surveyed, are found to be claimed by those To- eating before the survey, the Cover nor of the Territory is directed i'm mediately to select other lands in lieu thereof for the schools.
 University Provided For.
 Four sections in the Fairbanks dis trict are reserved for a Territorial uni versity site. It is provided that the university must include an agricul- tural college and school of mines, and the Governor of Alaska, the Del 
 egate in Congress and third man to be appointed by the Secretary of Az riculture are constituted a commission, to serve without pay, to manage the university.
 Limits Size of Mining Claims.
 The law limits the size of associa- tion mining claims to 40 acres. It provides that no one can locate min ing claim for another unless he have regularly executed power of attorney of record in the judicial division, and that he cannot locate more than two such claims in any one callendar month.
 All hot or mineral springs with a quarter section of land adjacent to them are reserved, and a strip of land so feet wide along every section line is reserved as a highway.
 The bill authorizes the sale of four tracts of land at Sitka known as the bath.house lot, clubhouse lot school house lot. and the wharf and the build ings thereon at public auction after 3O-days' notice,
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