OCR Text |
Show ENLARGED HOMESTEAD LAW.' Wo print this morning, on another pago of this paper, tho full text of tho act just passed by Congress "to provide for an enlarged homestead." The law applies in Colorado, Montana, Novada, Orogon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and tho Territories of Ari-zoua Ari-zoua and New Mexico. California and Idaho wero left out of tho provisions of tho act, at tho request of tho Senators Sena-tors from those States. This law allows an3 person competent compe-tent to enter under tho homestead laws threo hundred and twenty acres, or less, "of noumineral, nonirrigablo, unreserved un-reserved and unappropriated survoj'od public lands which do uot contain merchantable mer-chantable timber, locatod in a reasonably reason-ably compact bod3-, aud not over ono aad ono'-half miles in extreme length." There is a proviso that no lands shall bo subject to entry under tho provisions provi-sions of tho act "until such lands havo been designated b3' the Secretary of tho Interior as not bciug, in his opinion, opin-ion, susceptible of successful irrigation irriga-tion at a rcasouablo cost from an3' known sourco of water supply. " A good many peoplo throughout this rogion are interested in this bill. It is uncertain yet how it will work. Tho promoters of tho measure havo boon charged with an intent to enlarge tho opportunities for fraud in the unlawful unlaw-ful acquisition of public lands. Wc do not sco that the bill is ncccssari' subject sub-ject to this objection. However, it seems lo be easy enough to got up ono kind of fraud or another, according to current rumors, and according to the gallop- plays and outcries that havo boon made for tho past few years. Judging b3' these, one would suppose that there is no wa3 to protect the public lands from attacks of thieves; that rascals can make fraudulent entries, en-tries, no matter how strict the provisions provi-sions of tho laws ma3' be, nor how hon-ost hon-ost tho officials handling the transactions transac-tions are. The workings of this measure will be watched with a good deal of interest throughout this western country. Doubtless it will result in tho acquisition acquisi-tion b3' dishonest parties of largo tracts of supposedly nonirrigablo lauds, and thero will bo contests, of course, between be-tween claimants and the forest rcsorve officials as to tho acquisition of tracts of land in many places. In all such cases doubtless wo can depend upon tho activity of the forestry bureau ageu-cios ageu-cios to prevent tho development of the couutry as far as possible. In a genoral gen-oral way wo should say that tho working work-ing of the law ought to be for good, but whether it will pan out that way or not remains to bo seen. |