The Coconino sun., 1916-02-04
BILL ID ALLOW $40 ACRE H0MtSYEADS
 ID BE ENTERED UPQAN eY ST0CKMEN
Text of Ferris Land Bill which Recently Passed the House-NoW Before U. s. Senate for Considera-
 ton-Of Much Interest Locally

passage of this Act it shall be lawful for any person qualified to make entry under the homestead laws of the United States to make stock-raising homestead entry for not exceeding six hundred and forty acres of unappro- priated unreserved public land in req sonably compact form: Provided, however, That the land so entered shall heretofore have been designated by the Secretary of the Interior as "stock-raising lands"
 Sec. 2. That the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized, on ap- plication or otherwise, to designate as stock-raising lands subject to entry under this Act lands the surface of which is, in his opinion, chiefly valu- able for grazing and raising forage crops, do not contain merchantable timber, are not susceptible of irriga- tion from any known source of water supply, and are of such character that six hundred and forty acres are req sonably required for the support of family: Provided, That where any person qualified to make original or additional entry under the provisions of this Act shall make application to enter any unappropriated public land which has not been designated as sub feet to entry (provided said applica- tion is accompanied and supported by properly corroborated affidavit of the applicant, in duplicate, showing prlma facie that the land applied for is of the character contemplated by this Act), such application, together with the regular fees and commissions, shall be received by the register and receiver of the. land district in which said land is located and suspended un- iii it shall have been determined by the Secretary of the Interior whether said land is actually of that character. That during such suspension the land described in the application shall not be disposed of; and if the said land shall be designated under this Act, then such application shall be allowed; otherwise it shall be rejected, subject to appeal.
 Sec. 8. That any qualified home stead entryman may make entry un- der the homestead laws of lands so designated by the Secretary of the ln- terior. according to legal subdivisions, in areas not exceeding six hundred and forty acres, and in compact form so far as may be subject to the provi- sions of this Act, and secure title thereto by compliance with the terms of the homestead laws; Provided, mat a former homestead entry of land of the character described in section two hereof shall not be a bar to the entry of a tract within radius of twenty miles from such former entry under the provisions of this Act, subject to the requirements of law as to resi- dence and improvements, which, toge- ther with the former entry, shall not exceed six hundrd and forty acres; Provided further, That instead of cul- tivation as required by the homestead laws the entryman shall be required to make permanent improvements unon the land entered before flnal proof is submitted tending to increase the value of the same for stock-rais- ing purposes of the value of not less than S1.25 per acre, and at least one half of such improvements shall be placed upon the land within three wears after the date of entry thereof
 Sec. 4. That any homestead entry man of lands of the character herein described, who has not submitted hnal proof upon his existing entry, shall have the right to enter, subject to the provisions of this Act, such amount of contiguous lands designated for entry under the provisions of this Act as shall not, together with the amour! embraced in his original entry, exceed six hundred and forty acres, and resi- dence upon the original entry shall be credited on both entries, but improve ments must be made on the additional entry equal to SIPS for each acre thereof.
 Sec. 5. That persons who have sub mitted final proof upon, or rcelved patent for, lands of the character herein described under the homestead laws, and who own and reside upon the land so acquired, may, subject to the provisions of this Act, make ad- ditional entry for and obtain patent to contiguous lands designated for entry under the provisions of this Act, which, together with the area there tofore acquired under the homestead