Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1915-02-18
64O-ACRE BILL
TO 60 OVER


received a letter from Congress-
man Ferguson stating that the
GAO acre homestead bill was ia
vorably reported by the senate
committee, but failed of unani
nous consent to be placed on pas
sage, and therefore had to go on
the calendar. Unless other mat
ters which majority of the SEN
ators consider of far more i'm
portanca are disposed of in time
for this bill to be taken up before
the close of the session, it will
have to go over to the next ses-
sion. At this time it seems like
ly that it will have to go over.
1t is also probable that before
the senate gets through with it
it will have been amended more
or less.
In its present shape the bill is
pretty lengthy, containing
twelve sections. Following is a
summary of the bill as reported
to the senate
Any person qualified to make
entry under the homestead laws
is authorized TO make a stock
raising homestead of not exceed
ing GAO acres Of land that shall
have been previously designated
by the secretary of the interior
as grazing lands open to entry
under this act.
Section 2 authorizes the sacre-
tary to classify and designate
land open to entry under the act
and limits the entry to the sur
face Of the land. Lands con-
tanning msrchantable timber or
which are susceptible Of irriga-
ton cannot be designated,
Section 3 prsscribes that lands
must be in reasonably compact
form, homestead laws to be COM
piled with except that instead Of
cultivation entryman shall make
other permanent improvements
to the value Of $125 per acre,
at least half Of which must be
placed within three years from
date of entry,
Sscion 4 provides that an en-
trymau who already has home
stead shall have the right to take
additional cont uous land, pro
vided same has been designated
under this act, sufficient to make
$40 acres in all.
Section 5 provides that an en-
tryman who has proved up and
received patent, who still owns
and resides upon his entry, may
may make additional entry as
provided in section 4.
Section 6 provides that where
there are not sufficient contigu-
GUS lands, entry may be made
within ten miles, subject to same
conditions otherwise, but cOntig-
uous land must be entered first.
Section Z authorizes one who
has made entry Or proof to relin-
quish or reconvay to the govern
ment aud take land elsewhere in
the same district under the bill.
Section 8 provides that com
mutation laws shall not apply.
Section 8 gives entrymen pref
erenca rights for thirty days af-
ter designation, and provides
that where designated lands are
contiguous TO the holdings Of
two or more entrymen and there
is not enough to give al the ad-
ditional amount TO which they are
entitled, the Secretary or Che IN
terror shall make as nearly equal
division as possible in 40 acre
tracts among those applying for
preferential rights, provided that
where there is but forty acres
adjoining two or more entrymer
the one who itst applies to the
local land office shall get it.
Section 10 provides that an en-
trymen who still holds aud re-
sides upon his entry may buy a
S1.25 per acre not exceeding o2'
acres Of stockraisipg land desig
mated under the act or contigu
GUS land fit only for grazing.
Section IL reserves the miner
al rights and use of surface nee
essary in prospecting or mining
entryman TO be paid for damag
to improvements or crops.
Section II authorizes the Sec
retary of the Interior to max
,,1las and regulations for putin