The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1914-03-18
THE RECLAMATION Amendment
Bill Amendafoy To General Reclamation Law Is Favoraby
Reported by House Committee And viii Go To fhe Senate
In About The Form Published

Inc following Dill reported Out
favorably last week by the House
committe on Irrigation, would hard
ly be recognized as the Smith bill,
which in Its first form created much
unfavorable comment in govern
ment irrigation projects. The bill
as 1t stands now will probably pass
the lower house within short time
when 1t will be given over to the
upper house for its consideration.
Officials of the department in Wash
ington seem certain that this bill
will go through sailing and will be
speedily enacted into law and that
though further minor amendments
will be made by the upper house, it
will remain essentially as 1t is print
ed herewith.
A careful study of this bill Is in
yited by all Interested ones. 1t is
longer than the original reclama-
tion law and makes number of
sweeping changes. If 1t does not in
fuse new life into Uncle Sans irri-
cation projects, II will then be up to
Uncle Sam to continue to enact rec
lamation law amendments until Ii
finally hits upon the plan that will
find the favor of the man who would
be a successful arid land farmer.
BE it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Con-
gress assembled. That any person
whose lands hereafter become sub
ject to the terms and conditions Of
the Act approved June seventeenth.
nineteen hundred and two. entitled
IAN Act appropriating the receipts
from the sale and disposal of public
lands In certain States and Terri
tories TO the construction of irriga-
tion works for the reclamation OF
aid lands" and hc-s amendato1y
thereof or supplementary thereto,
hereafter to be referred to as the rec
lamation law, and any person who
hereafter makes entry hereunder
shall at the time of making water
right application or entry, as the
case may be.pay into the reclamation
fund five per centum of the construc-
tion charge fixed for his land as an
initial installment, and shall pay the
balance of said charge In fifteen an
nual installmonts, the first Ave Of
which shall each be FIVE per centum
of the construction charge and the
remainder shall each be seven per
centum until the whole amount shall
have been paid. The first of the an
nual installments shall become due
and payable ON December first of the
fifth calendar year after the initial
instalment: Provided, That any
water-right applicant or entryman
may if he so elect, pay the whole or
any part of the construction charges
owing by him within any shorter
period: Provided further, That en-
try may be made whenever water is
available as announced by the Secre-
terry of the Interior, and the initial
payment may be made when the
charge per acre Is established.
Act Shall Apply to Existing Projects.
Sec. 2. That any person whose
land or entry has heretofore become
subject to the terms and conditions
of the reclamation law shall pay the
construction charge or the portion Of
the construction charge remaining
unpaid. In twenty annual INSTALL
ments, the first of which shall be-
come due and payable on December
first of the year in which the public
notice affecting his land is issued
under this Act, and subsequent In
stallments on December first of each
year thereafter. The first four Of
such installments shall each be two
per centum, the next two install
ments shall each be four per cen
tum, and the next fourteen each six
per centum of the total construction
charge or the portion Of the con-
struction charge unpaid at the begin
ming of such installments.
Penalties.
Sec. g. That If any water-right
applicant or entryman shall fail to
pay any installrnent of his construc-
tion charges when due there shall be
added to the amount unpaid penal
ty OF one per centum thereof, and
there shall be added like penalty
of one per centum of the amount un-
paid on the first day of each month
thereafter SO long as such default
shall continue. II any such appli-
cant or entryman shall be one year
In default in the payment of any In
stallment of the construction