Arizona republican., 1915-06-09
Most Important Features of Substitute Measure Have Been Passed in
 Committee of the Whole Without Much Alteration
CLEAR MAJORITY
 ALREADY ASSURED
Senate Takes Up District Irrigation Neasure-The House Constructs AnOth- CT and a Blanket Appro- priation Measure.

] Rapid progress was made by the house in the committee of the whole
 with MT Pinkley in the chair yes terday in the consideration of the | land bill Though it was not com i pleted those features of it where i the greatest divisions of opinion were likely to occur were passed
 over and in all contests it was de-
 mOnstrated that there was a safe
 majority in favor of the main fea-
 lures of the bill.
 A hopeful sign is the absence of
 factionll division such as effected the defeat of much legislation in the regular session. The votes disclosed considerable variation; that is, many members supported some features of
 the bill while they opposed others That is taken as an indication of an earnest wish to send the pending bill to the senate in some form.
 When the committee met yester- day morning, after reverting to some matters that had been passed over the day before, without resulting in essential changes, the bill was taken up where it was left off on Monday afternoon.
 The first clash came over the sec ton relating to reimbursement for Improvements by lessees on state lands. This section provides that improvements hereafter made shall
 be paid for as follows: on grazing lands at a cost of not more than $150 mile; necessary cOrrals, not exceeding $200; fences on agricul- tural lands not more than $150 a mile for exterior boundaries; $75 a mile for cross fences; buildings and wells for development of water for domestic purposes, not more than 5000; irrigation systems not more than $25 an acre; such Improvements as leveling, blowing. orchards and other trees not more than $10 an acre.
 An effort was made to strike out all of this section fixing these figures but after a warm debate the motion failed by a narrow majority.
 There was another run-in over the section providing among other things for restriction of the sale of lands within a section to not more than 160 acres in a single year. It was contended by those opposed to this provision that it tended to arrest development and worked a hardship upon intending home makers. The friends of the section contended that the main thing was to conserve the best interests of the state which would be accomplished by securing better prices for the lands remaining in the ownership of the state. This purpose of the section was explained by Chairman Claypool of the public lands committee who with MT. Elan agan led the fight for the bill though they themselves suggested several changes which did not ma terially alter the structure of the measure
 A notable tendency, and there was no division, was to substitute for the commissioner the state land de- partment" consisting of the governor. the attorney general and the state engineer and the commissioner. Such a change was found advisable in many cases where it was thought that the commissioner had been given too great power.
 There was expected oposition to that feature of the bill providing for the payment for improvements on leased lands when on the sale of the lands they pass into the possession of other parties than the lessees. In order to stimulate competition in bidding it was provided that the commissioner might sell such i'm provements on installments, payable. one per cent on the announcement of the successful bidder, twenty four per cent thirty days after and fif- teen per cent annually for the next five years. The owner of the improve 
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