Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-08-25
WILSON POLICY AIRS
VESTS DEVELOPMENT
LANDS AND DRY FARMING
HOMESTEADS OPENED.

More than 100000 acres of
coal lands in the states of Colorado
Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and
Washington have been made avail
able to public entry and development
by citizens of the United States since
the advent of the Wilson admins
tration and Franklin X Lane came
into the Office of secretary of the in
terror department
During this period exactly 1871
873 acres of coal lands in these five
states, lands that had been with
administrations, have been restored
to the public domain and opened for
settlement, while only 26S,O00 acres
have been withdrawn for coal land
classification. The result has been
a reduction Of coal land Withdrawals
from about 65.5OO,00O acres at the
beginning of the Wilson regime to
less than 100000 acres on June
80, 1916.
Another result Of the coal land
classifications in the past three years
is the increase in valuation that has
followed. The appraised value of
the coal lands restored is about $44,-
100000, while their value at the
minimum price allowed by law at
which they would have been sold
without classification was less than
1923. 900. The largest restora-
ton was in Montana. where more
than 100000 acres were restored;
in Colorado nearly 100000 acres;
in Wyoming nearly 100000 acres;
in Washington 100000 acres, and
in Idaho 100000 acres.
Much Farm Land Opened.
In addition to this 100000
acres of dry farming" lands have
been classified and opened to entry
under the provisions of the amended
Enlarged Homestead Act" since
Secretary Lane took up the reins of
the interior department, and $4,000
600 acres of these lands are in Idaho,
Washington, Colorado, Wyoming and
Montana, more than 100000 in the
state of Washington. These are non
irrigable lands and their official clas-
sification and designation as such
made it possible for enterprising
hustling settlers to acquire double
homestead of 800 acres each. The
determination of what lands are
irrigable and what are not is a
highly technical problem in the solu-
ton Of which the experience and
training of engineers and biologists
of the geological survey are utilized.
The acreage affected in classical
ton as to water power value is rela-
lively small. The total area with
drawn in the five states mentioned in
the past three years, to insure gov
eminent control over valuable water
power lands, was 1880 acres. and
restoration to entry was made Of
10000 acres which had previously
been withdrawn but subsequently
determined to have no water power
value.
Free Water on the Deserts.
Water for the vast deserts is
always an important question, and
one that specially concerns all public
land states. The reservation of small
tracts in the deserts on which there
are water supplies that absolutely
control the use of the range, is ne
cessity of pressing Importance. The
interior department has given UNI
tagging attention to this work.
Withdrawals amounting to about 3d.
900 acres have been made in Colo
RADIO. wyoming. Montana, Idaho and
Washington These tracts have been
placed in public water reserves in
order that they may become avail
able to all users of the range, and in
cidentally their acquisition by indi-
viduals with the accompanying ex-
clusion of the public. prevented.
About 1900 acres of land that had
been withdrawn as watering places
have ben restored.