GIs Interested In
Homesteading
In Alaska
Headcmarters. Maskan Depart
ment— Young Americans still
have a generous amount of the'r
forbears’ pioneering blood and
zest for new lands and opportun
ities.
Miss Florence Kolb, register of
lands for the Anchorage. Alaska,
district, can testify to that because
soldiers from throughout the
world, including two perspiring
GTs in South Africa, have written
for information about homestead
ing in Alaska.
“There’s no question about there
being enough land to go around,”
said Miss Kolb, “because of a to
tal area of more than 365.000.000
acres, approximately 225.000.000
acres still are vacant. Of course,
some of this acreage isn’t suitable
for settlement.”
Nearly all the letters to Miss
Kolb indicate that the soldiers’ ac
quisition of land would be made
under the homestead laws, which
actually is the most popular meth
od of obtaining title to public land j
in Alaska.
Under the homestead act, any
citizen of the United States may
obtain a maximum of 160 acres.
The first step in securing land is
to initiate a claim, either by set
tling on the land or by filing an
application for a homestead entry j
at the nearest district land office.:
Alaska’s district offices are locat- j
ed at Anchorage, Nome and Fair-1
banks. A claim may be initiated j
by settlement on either surveyed i
or unsurveyed land, but applica-1
tion for entry can be filed for sur-:
veyed land only.
It’s obvious that initiating a
claim by settlement is almost im- i
possible for a soldier on active j
duty, but he can make an applica-;
tion for entry. However, he should
bear in mind, Miss Kolb warns,'
that if the entry application is ap-1
proved, residence on the land
must be begun within six months
after the entry is granted. In fact, j
Gl Music for on Appreciotire Audience
BR: j
g UFB MA-513
Sergeant Michell Lalich, of Portland, Oregon, entertains a French
family with American swing music. American soldiers have the ability to
make themselves at home wherever they are stationed. The Regular Army
now is accepting enlistments from qualified civilians 18 to 34 years of age,
inclusive. Soldiers also may enlist or reenlist in the Regular Army for
service as "Guardians of Victory."
the government pamphlet on
homesteading warns the soldier
that “there are some things which
the law requires the applicant to
do which would be difficult, if
not impossible, to do while on ac
tive duty. Being in the military
service is no excuse for failure to
comply with the requirements of
the public land law under which
the application may be filed.”
The government has given vet
erans a break on the residence re
quirements of the homestead law,
so that veterans may acquire a
title with only 7 months residence,
as compared to 3 years for civil
ians. The law reads that an entry
man must have an actual resi
dence on the land not less than
7 months per year during each of
3 years, but any veteran with not
less than 90 days’ service in the
army or navy in World War I or
II, is entitled to have a period
equal to his term of service, not
exceeding 2 years, deducted from
the 3 years’ residence and cultiva
tion required under the law. For
those entitled to the maximum
credit, only 1 year’s residence is
required, and since 5 months’
leave of absence may be taken
during the year, the actual resi
dence time is 7 months.
If a soldier’s family already is
in Alaska and has settled on pub
lic land, the soldier may apply
to make homestead entry on the
land, provided his family remains
there as required by law.
Miss Kolb can tell one the lands
open for entry, and give general
information about the desirability
of certain areas, but she says
frankly that it’s up to the individ
ual to select the land he believes
best suited for his particular goal
in homesteading.
In general, she says, the lands
which offer the best prospects for
agricultural settlement are in the
Tanana River Valley, the Cook
Inlet-Matanuska Valley area and'
on the Kenai Peninsula. Farming
land can be found in many other!
parts of the Territory, but lack of
roads, distance from markets and
less favorable climate make them
less desirable.
Answering the obvious ques
tion, Miss Kolb said homestead
entry can't be made on land in
GIs Interested—2 .
the Matanuska farming colony,
but can be acquired only through
purchase. Information about the
colony and its operation may be
secured from the General Mana
ger, Alaska Rural Rehabilitation
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You will want to investigate these any many other advantages of this new-type
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Lomen Commercial
i
Company
| Corporation, at Palmer, Alaska.
However, not all lands in the
Matanuska Valley are included in
the Colony project. At present,
: there is acreage open around Wa
1 sill, Miss Kolb disclosed.
Soldiers in Alaska who are in
j terested in securing a homestead
after their release should examine
the available lands while in serv
.ce and thus have a choice of sites
in mind if they decide to remain
in Alaska after discharge.
“Undoubtedly there are many
> servicemen who expect to settle1
in Alaska but who do not expect
to engage in farming,” said Miss
Kolb. “These men should apply
for a homesite instead of a home
stead.”
The law provides that a tract of
live acres or less may be purchas
ed from the government by a
qualified applicant. To qualify,
the applicant must be engaged in
trade, manufacture or other pro
ductive industry in Alaska, or be
employed by others so engaged.
There are several other methods
of acquiring title to public lands j
or the use of public land in Alaska, i
Land may be secured for use as i
trade and manufacturing sites, for i
grazing and fur farming. In all j
cases, however, the law and the
regulations provide for occupancy
and use within a reasonable time;
after the application is allowed.
In applying for public land, the
government gives ex-servicemen
another advantage. When public
iand is newly opened or restored
to entry, a qualified ex-service
man has a preference right to file
application under the homestead
i..w in Alaska in advance of the
general public for a period of 90
days.
The government also has the
following warning note for Big
Operators: “To those men now in
service who are seriously inter
ested in full-time faming, or in
homesite settlement coupled with
other employment, there is a real
chance for success. To others, at
tracted solely by prospects of
free’ land, there is likely to come
disappointment. New land in
Alaska, as elsewhere, requires
clearing and breaking, planting
and harvesting. A house and other
improvements require materials
and labor. Much hard work lies
ahead of the successful settler.”
HERE ARE 18 REASONS
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police station for a photograph.
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