2d Session.

No. 5419.

EXTENSION OF TIME WITHIN WHICH SETTLERS MAY ESTABLISH THEIR RESIDENCE UPON CERTAIN LANDS, ETC.

DECEMBER 12, 1906.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

Mr. DIXON, of Montana, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 21678.]

The Committee on the Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 21678) to provide for the extension of time within which settlers may establish their residence upon certain lands which were heretofore a part of the Crow Indian Reservation within the counties of Yellowstone and Rosebud in the State of Montana, having had the same under consideration, respectfully submit the following report:

These lands were opened to settlement on July 16, 1906, under the provisions of the act of April 27, 1906. These lands are situated in the semiarid region and must be irrigated in order to become productive. The settlers are compelled to pay $4 per acre for the lands and in addition the added cost of construction of irrigation ditches, which will range from $10 to $20 per acre. It is impossible for these settlers to construct their ditches within the six months' period allowed by law to establish their residence. No good can come by compelling these entrymen to establish residence on these lands during the severe winter months. It is the unanimous recommendation of the committee that the bill be reported for passage with the following amendments:

Amend the title of bill by striking out the word "settlers" in line 2 of the title and inserting in lieu thereof the word "entrymen." Amend by striking out the word "settlers " in line 3 of the bill and inserting in lieu thereof the word "entrymen."

Attached hereto is a petition signed by some of the entrymen, setting forth their reasons for asking for the relief given in the bill.

HR-59-2-Vol 1-4

To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled:

Whereas a portion of the Crow Indian Reservation in the State of Montana was thrown open to settlement under the general homestead laws of the United States on July 16 of this year; and

Whereas the time within which those who made entry of said lands must begin their acutal residence on the same expires during the middle of the coming winter; and

Whereas all of said land requires irrigation in order to raise any profitable crop, and there is no feasible plan or project for the irrigation of the same that can be put into operation in time to raise a crop on said land during the year 1907; and

Whereas there is no water for drinking purposes or for stock on said lands, except such of the claims as adjoin some river or stream, and there is no feed for horses, cows, or other stock such as settlers would require in the occupancy of said land, said lands having been grazed over by sheep and other stock up to the time of the opening and to the present time; and

Whereas most of said claims are situated a long way from any railroad, making transportation of food and supplies expensive and giving no opportunities to the claim owners to earn a livelihood in any near-by industry; and Whereas the great majority of the claim owners can not afford to spend their time on the claims until the same can be made to yield crops, and it would be especially burdensome for them to be required to occupy said claims during this coming winter:

Now, therefore, we, the undersigned entrymen on said lands, respectfully and earnestly petition the Congress of the United States for the passage of a law extending the time within which residence must be established on said lands by those who have made entry thereof, and that there be no forfeiture thereof if the entryman begins his actual residence on said lands prior to May 1, 1907; and that in computing the time of commutation or the time within which final proof may be made no deduction from the date of filing shall be made, provided the claimant establishes his actual residence on said land prior to May 1, 1907.

And your petitioners will ever pray.

THOMAS J. O'NEIL.
J. P. OBERWEISER.
WALTER W. WRIGHT.
ELIAS P. ALVIN.
GEORGE GORDON.
THOMAS S. HOGAN.
RENA MAE WILSON,

By H. L. WILSON,

Attorney in Fact.

M. J. MCDONOUGH,
JAS. J. KELLEY,
MIKE TUNNEY,
NEIL MCGINTY,
By T. S. HOGAN,

Attorney in Fact.

CON O'CONNOR.
A. D. SCHWAB.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.

DECEMBER 12, 1906.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. PAYNE, from the Committee on Ways and Means, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. Res. No. 647.]

The Committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred the resolution (H. Res. No. 647) for the distribution of the President's message, recommend that the resolution pass with the following amendments:

In line 4, page 2, strike out "intercolonial railways and cables." In line 13, page 3, strike out the words" and to Cuba."

FIXING TIME FOR CERTAIN ENTRYMEN TO ESTABLISH RESIDENCE.

DECEMBER 12, 1906.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

Mr. MONDELL, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 21202.]

The Committee on the Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 21202) fixing the time for homestead entrymen on lands embraced in the Wind River or Shoshone Indian Reservation to establish residence on the same, report the same back with the recommendation that it do pass.

By the act of March 3, 1905, certain lands in the Wind River or Shoshone Indian Reservation in Wyoming were opened to entry the 15th of August, 1906. Under the provisions of the homestead law, which gives a homestead entryman six months from the time of making his entry within which to establish residence upon his lands, it would be necessary for the first homestead entrymen on these ceded lands to establish their residence on the same on the 15th day of February, 1907. Owing to the character of the country and the severity of the climate, it would impose great hardship upon the settlers to require them to establish their residence in midwinter. It is believed that it would be wise to give them until a reasonable time in the spring within which to build their houses and establish permanent residence upon the lands embraced within their entries.

The action proposed by this bill is action commonly taken where lands are opened to entry at a time necessitating establishment of residence during the winter months.