The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-09-02
Copyrighted 1920 by Cola ". Shep-
ard. Colony. Wyo. and published in the
special arrangement.)
Powder River County Examiner thru

Many departments Of our govern.
ment maintain publicity bureaus anu
payers they continually. scatter publ |
cations throughout the land. proclalm-
ing to the people what they ~, are n ha
they expect to do. But the land de.
partment does no. advertising they
have very small appropriation LOT
they publish are not scattered broad
cast, but are mailed out only on re-
quest, or with letters and decisions
upon which they have a bearing.
II a congressman makes speech
which he thinks his constituents wi.i
appreciate. it is printed and every con.
free, carried through the mails unoer
frank. but when congress passes laws
which are Of vital Importance TO the
them knew about it, II the newspa.-
pers happen to find out and print 1t,
then some Of the people know. other
passed which are not known even by
the officers whose business it is to
carry out their provisions. This Is es-
peeially true OF LAND laws s.a 20.
sarding our public lands 1t is the duty
Of the interior department to issue
rules and regulations for CARVING ,a y
into effect. These are usually mailed
to the various district land Officers,
and sometimes to u list of L. :. COM
missioners. land lawyers etc. No pro
vision whatever is made fer notifying
the people who are to be benefited or
restricted by the law. 1t is up to them
to find out as best they can what Jaw :.
have been passed applying to their
particular cases. and it frequently
happens that laws which. are known
and taken advantage Of in enc com
munity re unknown and unused IN otn>
er communities, simply because no Ell
fort is made to publish these laws.
To illustrate, this point the act O.. OF
example. While the departmental reg Z
ulations were issued March %. 1919
there are comparatively few people IN
is in full force and effect:
This law grants the right to modify
the residence requirements of all home
stead entrymen whose land lies in To-
calities where the climatic condition:
make it hardship for them to nv,
year. Instead they may have thei1
residence changed into six months
year for four years or fiye months
per application with the land office
which is acted upon by the genera
land office.
who could live Oh homestead NV
months ct each year, or even 81!
months but who could not live Their 81
particular law would apply only il
cases where 81 imatic conditions are re
sponsble, yet it might be invoked NOR
often II IL We're MO" IL tuiOuSuVul III
public land states.
Those persons who wish tC hav
their residence requirements change
to six months each year for four year
or five months a year for five year
must file an application On the reGu
lar form for such purpose ,4-Ol,l an
have two witnesses to corroborat
their statements as to the clmati
conditions which prevent them froi
living on their land for the full seve
months each year. These application
may be sworn to before any L. 5. com
missioner, clerk of court, or other OF
ficer authorized to take proofs or iii
ings in the land district where In
land is situated.
This particular law is not Very lib
efal. and perhaps 1T is not much los
that it's provisions are not we'll know
but still there are people who woul
be glad to take advantage of it if the
knew about it, and what is the use Q
passing laws ii the people they affeo
never know about them? 1t is lik
winking at girl in the dark.
Ii cur mails were not continual !
Slutted with masses of propaganda is
sued from government offices at Wash
ington. and printed and circulated a
public expense, we might overlook tn
economy which prevents the govern
ment from spending a few dollars
inform public land claimants regard
ing the laws passed for their benefi
but under the circumstances it appear
to be another case where the publ
land claimants as a class do not cas-
votes enough to warrant the eNpend
ture of public money in their behalf.