The Winslow mail., 1923-09-28
HAND|CAPS OF EX-SERVCE MEN
IN HONESTEAD|NC i. 5. LANDS
TOLD BY INTERIOR SECRETARY

Undesirable features to ex-serv1ce
men in taking up homestead lands
are enumerated in communication
received by John r. Towles, registrar
of the general land office, from sec
retary of the Interior Hubert Work.
Secretary Work points out that the
public domain has been reduced from
an original acreage of 1,442,20O,32S
to 1876, 1888, ,242, leaving little desirable
land. 1t also warns of the import
ance of ex-service men understanding
what is involved, particularly in in
vestments, before making an entry.
1t points out that considerable ex-
pense and such time must be given,
and that the expensive inquiries
which must be made by the appl1-
cant often end in disappointment. The
communication follows:
Should veterans of the World war
take advantage of the numerous Of
fers made to them by the federal
government to homestead public
lands in the west?
"Intermittently the Department of
the Interior having supervision over
the nations public domain announces
opening of public land to the ex-ser-
vice men Most of these land open
ings are tracts in the far western
states.
"Is it profitable for war veteran
to avail himself of these OppOrtuni-
ties? Will the homestead of which
he ultimately becomes the owner af
ter moving his family and undergoing
the harship of pioneer-farming COM
pensate him for his expense and
labor? Is the value of the public
lands being thrown open to the ex-
service men worth homesteading?
''The ex-service man must pay his
railroad fare to the local land office
in the particular western State where
the public land is located that he
wishes to homestead, for no provis
ion has been made by law for the
assistance of the soldier in reaching
his land He must then decide whe
ther he intends to make entry of a
grazing homestead comprising $40
acres, or an agricultural homestead
which includes only 100 acres.
Upon making choice of one Of
three classes of homesteads he must
next go over the plats at the local
land office and ascertain what lands
are open to entry, and then ascer-
tian by personal inspection whether
any OI lH6S0 vacant are u0-
sirable or suitable for his purpose, or
whether they may not be already oc-
cupfed by some settler who has not
yet filed his claim, all of which re-
quires personal visit to the land
before an entry can be made. This
necessity for a personal inspection
of the land is apparent when it is
remembered that the applicant at the
time of entry must make oath as to-
the character of the land, and to the
fact that it is then unoccupied
Having seen the tract and being
satisfied with it, the next step for the
eX-service man is to return to the
local land office and file an applica-
ton to enter the land. There are
fees and commissions which he must
pay the Government in this connec-
ton, one amOuntaing to $40, and the
other varying from Sc to $24
Require Improvement
The entry having been made, the
war veteran must make certain i'm
provement that will cost him sums
ranging from 5000 to $500, besides
building home, the cost of which
will vary in price in accordance with
the standard of living he sets for
himself and family On a grazing
homestead comprising $40 acres, he
must make improvements to the
amount of $1.25 per acre, or a total
of $500 within five years Enlarged
homestead entries, or entries of $50
acres, require on final proof a show
ing of cultivation, and the erection
of habitable house.
There are other requirements that
must be fulfilled before the veteran
obtains complete ownership and is
given patent to the land He must
actually live upon it for seven
months out of the year for a period
of three years, with credit for mil
itary service. He must establish re-
Sidence within the time. and during
at least the first year of his entry
reside on the land, and otherwise
comply with the law in the manner
required of other persons: but may
at any time after the first year of
his entry submit his proof when he
can show that the period of his COM
pliance with the law after establish
ing residence and his military service
equal So months; the maximum
credit for military service being two
years.
Opportunity Equal
From the foregoing it will be seen
that the law office offers an equal
opportunity to all veterans, but those
who do not reside in the public land
states must realize, practical
question, that their comrades living
in the vicinity of the lands open, or
to be opened, possess a very great
advantage knowledge of the climate,
the character of the lands, the con-
ditiOn of the roads. the location of
streams, and accessibility of mar
kets-and that there are new locali-
ties in which there are not now a
sufficient number of qualified veter-
ans to aDprOpriate the most desira-