New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-06-01
SENATOR FALLS
BILL WILL Relieve
$40 ACRE ENTRYMEN
INTRODUCES A MEASURE
WHICH CUTS ALL RED
. TAPE OUT OF GENERAL
LAND OFFICE METHOD OF
HAuDLnG HOMESTEADS

Special to State Record.
Washington, May Ex-senator A.
B. Fall. chairman of the committee
On geological survey of the senate
Aas introduced a bill which is one
Of the most drastic clippers of red
cape ever proposed and which will
Immediately relieve the $40 acre
homestead entrymen of New Mexico
from all delay in the acquisition and
use of their entries if it becomes
. Law.
The bill follows:
A BILL
Amending the Act approved Decem..
Der twenty-ninth, nineteen hundred
and sixteen, known as the six-hun-
dred-and- d-forty-acre homestead Act.
Be II enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Con-
gress assembled,
That the Act approved December
eweaty-ninth, nineteen hundred and
sixteen, known as the six-hundred-
and-forty-acre homestead Act. be,
and the same is hereby. amended by
addiag thereto the following Sec
lions:
"SEC. IL. That all public survey
ed unreserved lands within the State
Of New Mexico are hereby desig-
aated, without further classification
or action under section two hereof,
as subject to the provisions OF this
Act.
"SEC. IS. That all applications for
entry under the provisions OF this
Act heretofore made in the State
Of New Mexico, and all such entries
chat may be made in such State
within six months after the passage
Of this Act, are hereby directed to be
received by the respective land Off
cials and approved by the proper
officials of the Land Department,
subject to individual contest.
"SEC. H. That subject only to
proof of residence and value of i'm
provements. such as wells, waters
fences, corrals, and houses, and to
proof Of qualifications of entrymen
as provided herein, patent shall is
aue for each such entry"
The Rules and Regulations of the
Secretary of Interior, conveying in
structions to registers and receivers
regarding the entering of lands under
ehe stock-raising homestead law, il
adhered to, will delay getting pos
session of the land for possibly a
year or more. It provides an i'm
mense amount of work for the Geo.
logical Survey which is charged
with the designation of entries sub
1ect under the law, and that Depart
ment at the present time has nc
funds with which to prosecute the
work, and will necessarily have tc
wait until an appropriation is made
It would require an immense flee
force which would have to be organ.
lied, and the detailed character o.
the work that would have to be per
formed on each and every entry
would mean unlimited time woult
90 by before the lands in New Mex
ico would be finally designated. o
course. other states subject to thu
$40 acre law would also be clamor'
ng to have the Survey designate
the lands in such states.
These regulations as to what land'
are subject to entry under the Law
are a "wonder to behold. Land.
that are capable of raising foot
crops are not of the character, ans
those on which family cannot maxi
a living are too poor, and It woult
seem that it would be up to thu
Geological Survey to determine
whether or not a family could maxi
. living rather than as to the geo
logical characteristics of the land
This amendment If the Senator sue
eeeds in getting the same en-
acted into law. would at once maxi
the situation clear, and enable pros
pective settlers to secure possession
of their lands and go ahead prepar
ed to utilize same n, xt year.
Senator Fall believes he can pas
this measure through the Senate a
an emergency war measure. and tn
job will then be up to Mr.. Waltoi
In the House.
The Secretary of the Interior ha
not been consulted and what viey
Ae VIM take as regards the amend
ment, 10 not known but IL consisten
be viii disapprove Il. as he seem
20 have taken the position hereto
fore that New Mexico had receives
from the government all the publ
lands to which IL was entitled.
Senator Jones will undoubtedly b
favorable. and use his best effort
jointly with Senator Fail to secur
its passage through the Senate.
Senator Fail also win introduce I
q few days, another bill to secur
for the State the remainder of tn
pubic lands. He will offer and At
tach this second bill as an AIMED
ment to some one Of the pendin
war measures.
At the proper time in support g
his amendment to the $40 acre bill
he is prepared to make stron
showing. going thoroughly into pub
lie land matters in New Mexico ger
orally.
TWO HUNDRED Y. n. c. A.
BUILDINGS II co vi