The Blackfoot optimist., 1916-06-08
TIM H01U0T3AD ACI-IID DnTH
AND LONGEVITY.

Ste4u law OF l00S are ISmli14f o.
cause it spans the life Of most readers.
With slight amendment it stood for so
wears to mark the decisive step taken
to provide homes for citizens Of the
United States. In 1912 that law was
radically, though not fundamentally,
amended, the object being to facilitate
the securing of homes for naturalized
persons.
Qualifications.
& TO qualify as homesteader one must
be either citizen Of the United States
or have declared his intention to be-
come citizen. He must be u years Of
age, or the head Of family. This lat
ter qualification does not necessarily
mean that the entrymarl. must be mar
ried; but if He supports those whom he
is morally but not legally bound to
support, he becomes the head Of fam.
lily within the meaning of this require
ment. An entryman cannot own more
than 100 acres Of land otherwise ac-
quired. If. he does, he is disqualified
to make an entry. The entry cannot be
made in the interest Of any other than
the entryman. If before receiving his
final certificate the entryman has agreed
to sell any portion Of the homestead,
except for a right Of way, for church,
school or cemetery purposes, his entry
will be cancelled.
Original weakness
Under the homestead law Of 1852 no
specific amount Of residence or cultiva.
tion was required. II was 4 weakness
Of that act, for the entryman did not
know what would be considered sufi
cient by the changing administrations
Of the land department. In order for
any policy to perform its best service
there must be stability. What would
be sufficient residence or cultivation a.
Interpreted by one administration
would be sufficient in sub
sequent administration and under DIFF
ferent circumstances. To remedy this
defect Congress has provided that resi-
dence must be continuous for three
years, except that the entryman may
be allowed leave or absence of five
months in each year by fling notice
when his leave begins and terminates.
One-sixteenth of the area of the home.
stead entry must be cultivated by the
beginning of the second year of the
entry, and not less than One-eighth by
the third year, and continued until final
fered within FIVE years from the date Of
the entry.
In addition to the homestead law,
public land may be acquired in a sim
liar manner under whae are known as
the adjoining, additional and enlarged
homestead laws.
Communication.
One Of the principal features Of tho
homestead act is the. communication
clause. This permits the entryman to
pay from $l.25 to $3.50 per acre for
his land, depending upon the distance
from railroad. Residence for IA
months is prerequisite to committing.
Since June s, 1912, an entryman com
muting his entry must be a citizen of
the United States. To commute, the
entryman must have habitable house
on his claim, and must have cultivated
one sixteenth of his acreage. Not all
kinds of entries are subject to commut-
alton, but all original, second, addi-
tional and adjoining entries may be
commuted.
In the case Of death Of the entryman,
his widow, heir or devisee, may enter
and complete his entry in the same
manner as if he were alive.
The requirements Of the. present law
are definite, and the entryman knows
exactly what is necessary for him to
do in order to comply with it's provis-
ions. This is much better than the in.
definiteness of the old law, interpreted
according to the feelings of the partic.
ular clerk who was responsible for in.
terpreting such acts.
Q<,dc<ar Than nAfora
The government is stricter now than
ever before. Special agents investi-
gate the validity of practically all
claims. Besides those employed in
each local land Office and those detailed
to the field from the commissioner s
Office at Washington, the commissioners
reports that there are l4S men i'll the
field service, designated as Especial
agents. with certain districts to comb
through and ascertain any persons
whose entries should not be permitted.
In addition the government surveyors
and employees of the forest service also
give information to the special agents
concerning claims coming under their
notice. This system renders the per-
petration of frauds less prevalent than
formerly.
Every western community has its
old homesteader who has grown wealthy
because of the gift of Uncle Sam. Since
the passage of the general homestead
law of 1862, the government has pat
ented over one hundred and forty
en- million acres under this act alone.
This means that over one million citi-
zens have acquired homes under the
provisions of the homestead law. And
we have sufficient agricultural land left
to accommodate more than twice the
homes under this law, to say nothing of
the great amount of acreage which is