The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1916-01-29
SENATOR PITTMAN PASSES
AN IMPORTANT LAND BILL
Measure Provides for the Encour-
agement Of the Development
of Sub-Surface Waters

Senator Pittman's Dill giving pros
pectors the right to drill for water
in tracts of 1850 acres of non-mineral
or non-timber land in Nevada and
their choice of $40 acres if success
full in finding enough water to pro-
duce at a profit agricultural crops
other than native grasses upon not
less than 20 acres of land, passed the
Senate last week.
Under the provisions of the Act
any citizen or association of citizens
may procure from the Secretary OF
the Interior a permit which shall
give the exclusive right for period
of not exceeding two years, to drill
or otherwise explore for water be-
meath the surface of not exceeding
1850 acres of unreserved unapprop-
rated, non-mineral and non-timbered
public lands of the United States in
the State of Nevada not now sus-
ceptible of successful irrigation from
any known available source of sur
face water supply.
1t is a condition of the permit that
operation for the development of
underground water shall begin with
in six months from the date of the
permit and be continued with reason
able diligence until water has been
discovered in sufficient quantity to
successfully irrigate at least 70 acres
of land and the production of agri-
cultural crops other than native
grasses at a profit, or until the ex-
piration of the date of the permit.
Upon the establishing at any time
within two years from the issuance
of the permit that the terms there
of have been complied with the own
er of the permit shall be entitled to
a patent for one-fourth of the land
embraced in the permit, such area to
be selected by the permittee in COM
pact form according to legal sub
divisions of the public land surveys
if the land be surveyed or to be sur
veyed at his expense under rules and
regulations established by the Secre-
tary of the Interior if located upon
unsurveyed land.
The remaining area within the limits
of the permit shall thereafter be re-
served from other disposition and
may, within the discretion of the
Secretary of the Interior, be sold at
public auction to citizens of the Uni
ted States under such rules and reg
ulations as he may prescribe and IN
such farm units of not less than 4O
acres in area as he may prescribe
to the highest bidder for cash or for
amounts payable in annual INSTALL
ments not exceeding five.
The receipts obtained from the
sale of lands under the provisions OF
the Act shall be paid into, reserved,
and appropriated as a part OF the
reclamation fund and after use there
of in the construction of reclamation
works, and upon return to the recla-
nation fund of any such moneys in
the manner provided by the reclama-
ton Act so per centum of the amounts
so utilized in and returned to the re-
clamation fund shall be paid by the
Secretary of the Treasury after the
expiration of each fiscal year to the
State of Nevada, said moneys to be
used by said State for the support of
public schools or other educational
institutions or for the construction
Of public improvements. or both, as
the Legislature of the State may di-
rect.
All entries made and patents is
sued under the provisions of the Act
are subject to reservation of all
coal and other valuable minerals.
together with a right to prospect
for and mine the same. Such coal
and minerals shall be subject to dis
posal by the United States in accord
ance with the coal and mineral land
laws. Provision is made for the
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