American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-02-17

,-A-@NH =
fact that they are remote from any
settlement. There are thousands of
men who are willing and anxious to
attempt to raise crops on these lands,
but because of the stringent regula-
tons requiring residence, they are de-
TERED from entering the land. Under
the desert land law hundreds of thou
sands of acres have been reclaimed,
no residence being required, but prac-
tically all of this land, for which wa
ter is available for irrigation, has
been entered.
Section vi, of the Enlarged Home
stead Act. applicable to Idaho, does
not meet the situation because of
the fact that the department Of the in
terror has construed the phrase
do not have UPON them suf-
ficient quantity of water, suitable for
domestic purposes, as would make
continuous residence upon the land
profitable" to mean that If water can
be obtained at a depth of two hun
dred and fifty feet, residence is re-
quired. Congress did not contemplate
that such a construction would be
placed upon this phrase, but that a
reasonable distance, certainly not ov-
considered as representing the in
~tention of congress in this regard.
Another reason why Section vi does
ot meet the conditions referred to Is
VITA entrymen are required to live
within twenty miles Of the land. In
southern Idaho, as elsewhere in the
Rocky Mountain states. settlements
are far apart, and this requirement OF
living within twenty miles of the land
does not encourage the cultivation OF
the land, as there are comparatively
few persons within the distance OF
twenty miles who are willing to avail
themselves of this law.
There are thousands of -wage-earners
who, in their desire to put their earn
ings into land, are willing to enter
and cultivate these dry lands with the
| nope vi lldhlh6 a piOiits thNs aiS
not required to endure the hardships
incident to residence without water
for domestic purposes. The present
law practically bars the entering and
cultivation of the land except by men
with a thousand dollars or more, be-
cause of the expense of digging wells
or hauling water, and generally, men
with this amount of money have other
opportunities of investment which
are more certain an more profitable
During the past summer Mr.. Smith
travelled by automobile e a large
part Of the country remote from towns
and found entrymen living with theiI
wives and children twenty miles from
a postoffice and fifteen miles from
water supply for domestic purposes
Many OF these people told him thai
the cost Of hauling water was fire.
uuently ten cents per gallon, and
others that it took practically hall
their time to haul water. leaving the
remainder Of the time for the cuitiva'
ton OF the land. Many Of them are al
far as fifty miles from a physician
and many miles from chools OF
churches. The records OF the inter
Tor department will show that In
some places wells have been SUM
from three hundred to twelve hun
dred feet in depth and water Is no
always obtained even at this distance
This bill proposes to amend th'
desert land law, which allows resi-
dence anywhere within the state ant
is to be considered as an amendmen
to the desert land law rather than u
the homestead law, because OF the alb
sence Of the requirement OF residence
II is lust as reasonable to allow proc
by cultivation under this proposed Law
: as under the desert land law, an'
Instead OF placing the water upon fh'
land, as the desert land law requires
the dry farmer ~conserves the moistur'
that is already in the land
Before the title al pass to the en
ltrymen, the entire tract must be clear
led of sage brush. What better evi