Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1917-10-18
retain LAND FOR
HOMESTEADERS
mus. ARMY
MEN WHO ENLIST WILL NOT LOSE
RIGHT TO CLAIMS TAKEN FROM
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.
ORDERS TO FEDERAL AGENTS
Period Spent In Military or Naval Ser
vice Equivalent to Same Time
Put in on Soil.

Clay Tallman, commissioner of the
general land office, has issued instruc
tons to federal land office registers and
receivers relating to military service of
homesteaders, with reference to the re-
cent act of congress providing for the
protection of their interests while in the
service of the country. The act was
passed with view to make impossible
the loss of land by a homesteader be-
cause of his enlistment in the army or
navy of the United States during the
period of the war
1t is provided in the act that any
settler upon any public land in the
United States or any entrymen whose
application has been allowed or any
person who has made application for
public land which thereafter may be
allowed under the homestead laws, who
enlists in the military or naval service
of the country shall have his service
construed to be equivalent to residence
and cultivation for the same length of
time upon the tract entered or settled
upon
Law Prohibits All Contests.
1t is also provided that in the future
no contest shall be initiated upon the
ground of abandonment, nor allegation
of Abandonment sustained unless it shall
he alleged in the preliminary affidavit
and proved at the hearing that absence
from the land was not due to employ
ment in military or naval service.
If any entrymen or settler dies while
in the service of the army or the navy,
his widow, il unmarried, or in case of
her death or marriage, his minor or
phan children, may proceed forthwith
to make final proof and shall be en-
the land. The death of soldier, in
such case, shall be construed to be
equivalent to a performance of all re-
quirements as to the residence and cuti-
walton.
In Case of Wounded Men.
Provision is made in the act that in
ease of discharge because of wounds
received and disability incurred in line
of duty, then the term of enlistment
shall be deducted from the required
length Of residence, provided, however,
that no patent shall issue to any home
steader who has not resided upon, i'm
proved and cultivated his land for a
period of at least one year. The dis
charged soldier, for wounds or disa
bility, is given credit for the entire Pc
riod of his enlistment, without regard
to the actual period of service.
If the soldier has not made entry for
the land claimed, dies while in service
then the right to make entry and sub
nit final proof accrues to the parties
indicated at once.
Those Affected by New Law
The benefits of the act are conferred
upon any person who, before going into
the service, had actually made a home
stead entry, had effected and main
tanned valid settlement upon tract
properly subject to enrty by him, or
had filed an allowance application for
land This last includes one who has
filed II petition for designation under
the enlarged homestead act or the stock
raising homestead law
While the law protects all entrymen
engaged in military service from con
tests against their entries on the ground
of abandonment and it is not obligatory
upon them to inform the land depart
ment as to their reasons for leaving
their claims, it is advisable, that each
shall notify the local land office of the
facts
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