The border vidette., 1917-01-27
THE 64O-ACRE LAW.
Summary of New Act Providing for
 Grazing Homesteads.

The bill au tn prizes the Secre- tary of the Interior to designate the land which will be subject to entry under the bill. It will re- quire some time to do this, and those who attempt to make filings under the bill prior to such designation by the Secre- tary must do so at their own risk. The bill provides how ever, that settlers may file on land before the Secretary has tion. The application must be accompanied by atfidavits show ing that in the opinion of the entryman the land is of the character contemplated by the act. In addition to that the entryman must deposit with the land office the regular fees and com mission and thereupon the land will be withdrawn from entry until the Secretary of the Interior shall have an oppor, tunity to determine it's character The entryman however will not be permitted to occupy the land until the Secretary has actually designated it aS subject to en- try.
 Any person qualified to make entry under the general home stead laws of the United States may make a stock raising home stead entry. Instead of cultiva- tion, as required by the general la will be required to make improve ment on the land of 8 value of not less than SIPS per acre, and at least one half of the improve ment must be placed on the land of not less than SIPS per acre, and at least half of the inn provements must be placed On the land within three years from the date of the entry.
 The bill provides that settlers who have made filings under the general homestead law and am: endments thereto may make additional filings sufficient to give them 64O acres. However, they must show that the land on which they originally filed is of the same character as the land affected by the 64O acre bill in other words, that it is chiefly valuable for grazing and raising forage crops, does not contain any merchanta ble timber, is not susceptible of irrigation from any known sources of water supply, and is of such character that GAO acres are reasonably reqnir- ed for the support of a family"
 The land converted by an addi- tional entry must be within 8 radius of twenty miles from the settlers first entry, and the en tryman is required to file on contiguous areas which may be open to entry prior to filing on non contiguous land.
 Homesteaders whoP are living on their original entries are not required to establish residence on their additional entries. When they come to prove up it will only be necessary for them to show that they have made the required permanent improve mentS.
 In case a homesteader finds he cannot make an additional entry within the prescribed radius of 20 miles he may, if he sees fit, surrender his original filing and make a new entry covering GAO acres. The second entry, how ever, must be in the same land district as the first. Home steaders who are entitled to make additional entries have preferen tial right to file on lands for ninety days after the Secretary of the Interior has designated the land subject to entry under the provisions of the bill. In case this preferential right leads to a conflict between home steaders the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to make division of the land.
 The United States reserves all the coal and other mineral of the land subject to entry.