Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-07-09 | Page 2 | Resolution Aids Drouth Victims

RESOLUTION AIDS1 DRQUTHJIGTIMS Senator Myers of Montana Would Allow Ab sence to Homesteaders. WASinXGTOy, D. C. July S. Senator Sena-tor .Myers of Montana today introduced a joint resolution proposing- to grant a seven months' leave of absence to homesteaders home-steaders whose crops have been ruined by drought. The effect of this resolution, if passed, would be t. grant a full year's leave of absence to these particular homesteaders, as they are already ullowed five months' leave each year under the existing- law. The Myers resolution would apply not only to Montana, but to southwestern Idaho and any other section where the drought has been unusually severe. The Myers resolution provides: "That duriiiR and for calendar year 1M19 and for any homesteader's current year ol homesteading which may fall principally In ll'll', in sections of the country where great and serious drought conditions prevail, pre-vail, homesteaders whoso crops are almost al-most or entirely failures and who have, no crop of any substantial value and who find it necessary to leave their homesteads home-steads and to hunt employment in order to live and obtain food for themselves, their families and work stock (if any) shall, upon making affidavit to such facts and filing same with registrar and receiver re-ceiver of land office be absolved from residence for .seven months or any period pe-riod of time at all upon their homesteads home-steads and as to such for the year 1!'19, or current homestead year, of nil such homesteaders the law requiring residence upon homesteads is suspended." "The secretary of the interior is directed di-rected upon compliance herewith by any homesteader to waive all requirements of residence by such homesteader for such year and to permit final proof to be made when offered to be made without with-out evidence of residence or cultivation during said year, provided sucli affidavit be made and so filed, and in that event it shall be accepted in lieu of proof of seven months' residence for one year."