The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-07-17
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON

Senator Brady has been IN con-
ference with Secretary Lane of the
Interior Department, urging favorable
consideration by the department OF
the bill introduced by Senator Borah,
amending the cultivation clause OF
the homestead law. This bill has
passed the senate, but is being held
up in the house, because of an ad-
verse report written some months
ago by Assistant Secretary Jones of
the Interior Department.
Senator Brady impressed upon
Secretary Lane that 1t is impossible
under the present law for any home
steader in Idaho and other states to
clear and cultivate their lands as fast
as the statute requires. The Senator
took the position that so long as an
entryman shows his good faith and
establishes the fact that he is seeking
to make home on the public domain,
the government should not impose
undue hardships.
The Borah bill provides that in lieu
of cultivation, the homesteader may
show that he has made improvements
on his land to the extent of $3.50 an
acre, and that this showing shall be
considered ample evidence of his good
faith. Secretary Lane promised Sem
ator Brady to give the matter his
personal attention, and if a favorable
report can be secured from the de-
partment, the passage of the Borah
bill is practically assured before
congress adjourns.
Surfaces Bill Passes
Representative French called up in
the house today his bill for the sur
face entry of phosphate, nitrate. pot
ash, oil and gas lands, and passed
the same as an amendment to the
bill by Senator Warren that provides
for the agricultural entry of oil lasds.
If the bill shall pass the senate
it will make available for homestead
entry more than one million acres
OF land in southern Idaho now tied
up in phosphate reserve, and large
areas in other states.
Dry Farm Entrymen Protected
Congressman Smiths bill providing
that applications for land under the
enlarged homestead act shall be filed
thro Oh the local land office and no.
tation made of such application upon
the records, and the application sus-
pended awaiting the designation for
entry fthe land by the secretary of
the interior, passed the House Of
Representatives, after Representative
Smith and Representative Mann, the
Republican leader, engaged in lively
debate over the provisions of the
measure. Under existing law pros
pective entrymen have no assurance
that they will be able to secure the
land which they resire to enter. as
no record is made in the local land
office of their application, and as a
result when the land is designate
for entry it is open to the first
qualified entryman to present him
self at the land office. Representa-
tive Smith introduced this bill on the
Iopening of congress, and secured from
the secretary of the interior favor
able report, and later the bill was
favorably reported by Representative
French, who is member of the COM
mittee on public lands. Mr.. Smith
in addressing the house stated that
in many instances the entrymen spent
from $25 to $50 and considerable
time in locating the land, and con-
tended that they should be protected
by the proposed law in the event the
land was opened to entry.
Mr.. Smith has arranged for hear
ing on the bill before the committee
on Public lands of the senate on
Wednesday the 18th, with the hope
of having the bill placed upon the
senate calendar and passed before
the adjournment of congress.
Still Chance for Appropriation
Senator Brady gained q splendid
point in the senate the other day
by having his amendment appropriat-
ing $4,000 to enable the University
of Idaho to continue experiments in
byzpreducts of stumps, passed as an
amendment to the sundry civil bill.
The same amendment passed the
senate in the agricultural appropria-
ton bill, but was cut out by the con-
ference committee of the two houses.
Senator Brady has certainly done his
full part in putting this amendment
up to the conference committee on
1.-TWO different occasions, and 1t is to
be hoped that the conference COM
mittee will permit the amendment
to remain in the bill. If the amend
ment is finally agreed to by the con-