APPLICABILITY OF STATE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION LAWS

An act to provide more adequate protection to workmen and laborers on projects, buildings, constructions, improvements, and property wherever situated, belonging to the United States of America, by granting to the several States jurisdiction and authority to apply their State workmen's compensation laws on all property and premises belonging to the United States of America. (Act of June 25, 1936, 49 Stat. 1938)

[SEC. 1. State workmen's compensation laws applicable to United States property.]-That whatsoever constituted authority of each of the several States is charged with the enforcement of and requiring compliances with the State workmen's compensation laws of said States and with the enforcement of and requiring compliance with the orders, decisions, and awards of said constituted authority of said States hereafter shall have the power and authority to apply such laws to all lands and premises owned or held by the United States of America by deed or act of cession, by purchase or otherwise, which is within the exterior boundaries of any State, and to all projects, buildings, constructions, improvements, and property belonging to the United States of America, which is within the exterior boundaries of any State, in the same way and to the same extent as if said premises were under the exclusive jurisdiction of the State within whose exterior boundaries such place may be.

SEC. 2. [United States in no wise relinquishes jurisdiction.]—For the purposes set out in section 1 of this Act, the United States of America hereby vests in the several States within whose exterior boundaries such place may be, insofar as the enforcement of State workmen's compensation laws are affected, the right, power, and authority aforesaid: Provided, however, That by the passage of this Act the United States of America in nowise relinquishes its jurisdiction for any purpose over the property named, with the exception of extending to the several States within whose exterior boundaries such place may be only the powers above enumerated relating to the enforcement of their State workmen's compensation laws as herein designated: Provided further, That nothing in this Act shall be construed to modify or amend the United States Employees' Compensation Act as amended from time to time (Act of September 7, 1916, 39 Stat. 742, U. S. C., title 5 and supplement, sec. 751 et seq.).

INVESTIGATION OF CLEAR LAKE WATERSHED, CALIFORNIA

An act to provide for an investigation to determine whether the water rights of the United States have been violated in the Clear Lake Watershed, California, and for other purposes. (Act of June 26, 1936, 49 Stat. 1975)

[SEC. 1. Investigation whether United States water rights violated— Report to Congress.]-That the Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed (1) to make a full and complete investigation with a view to determining whether any dams, waterworks, or other projects have been constructed in the Clear Lake Watershed, in the State of California, in violation of the water rights of the United States in such State, and (2) to report thereon to the Congress as soon as practicable.

SEC. 2. [Authorization of $5,000.]-There is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the reclamation fund the sum of $5,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of section 1 of this Act, the amounts expended from such appropriations to be reimbursable under the reclamation law.

642

AMENDMENT OF GRAZING ACT OF 1934

An act to amend the act entitled "An act to stop injury to the public grazing lands by preventing, overgrazing and soil deterioration, to provide for their orderly use, improvement, and development, to stabilize the livestock industry dependent upon the public range, and for other purposes", approved June 28, 1934 (48 Stat. 1269). (Act of June 26, 1936, 49 Stat. 1976)

[SEC. 1.] That the first sentence of section 1 of the Act entitled "An Act to stop injury to the public grazing lands by preventing overgrazing and soil deterioration, to provide for their orderly use, improvement, and development, to stabilize the livestock industry dependent upon the public range, and for other purposes", approved June 28, 1934, is amended by striking out the words "eighty million" and inserting in lieu thereof the words "one hundred and forty-two million."

SEC. 2. Section 7 of such Act is amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 7. [Agricultural lands to be classified and opened to entry-Homestead entries not to exceed three hundred and twenty acres. ]-That the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to examine and classify any lands withdrawn or reserved by Executive order of November 26, 1934 (numbered 6910), and amendments thereto, and Executive order of February 5, 1935 (numbered 6964), or within a grazing district, which are more valuable or suitable for the production of agricultural crops than for the production of native grasses and forage plants, or more valuable or suitable for any other use than for the use provided for under this Act, or proper for acquisition in satisfaction of any outstanding lien, exchange or script rights or land grant, and to open such lands to entry, selection, or location for disposal in accordance with such classification under applicable public-land laws, except that homestead entries shall not be allowed for tracts exceeding three hundred and twenty acres in area. Such lands shall not be subject to disposition, settlement, or occupation until after the same have been classified and opened to entry: Provided, That locations and entries under the mining laws, including the Act of February 25, 1920, as amended, may be made upon such withdrawn and reserved areas without regard to classification and without restrictions or limitation by any provision of this Act. Where such lands are located within grazing districts reasonable notice shall be given by the Secretary of the Interior to any grazing permittee of such lands. The applicant after his entry, selection, or location is allowed, shall be entitled to the possession and use of such lands: Provided, That upon the application of any applicant qualified to make entry, selection, or location, under the public-land laws, filed in the land office of the proper district, the Secretary of the Interior shall cause any tract to be classified, and such application, if allowed by the Secretary of the Interior, shall entitle the applicant to a preference right to enter, select, or locate such lands if opened to entry as herein provided."

SEC. 3. Section 8 of such Act is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 8. (a) That where such action will promote the purposes of the district or facilitate its administration, the Secretary is author

644

AMENDMENT OF GRAZING ACT, 1934

ized, for the purpose of this Act only, to accept on behalf of the United States any lands within the exterior boundaries of a grazing district as a gift.

"(b) When public interests will be benefited thereby the Secretary is authorized to accept on behalf of the United States title to any privately owned lands within or without the boundaries of a grazing district, and in exchange there for to issue patent for not to exceed an equal value of surveyed grazing district land or of unreserved surveyed public land in the same State or within a distance of not more than fifty miles within the adjoining State nearest the base lands.

"(c) Upon application of any State to exchange lands within or without the boundaries of a grazing district the Secretary of the Interior shall, and is hereby, directed to proceed with such exchange at the earliest practicable date and to cooperate fully with the State to that end, but no State shall be permitted to select lieu lands in another State. The Secretary of the Interior shall accept on behalf of the United States title to any State-owned lands within or without the boundaries of a grazing district, and in exchange therefor issue patent to surveyed grazing district land not otherwise reserved or appropriated or unappropriated and unreserved surveyed public land; and in making such exchange the Secretary is authorized to patent to such State, land either of equal value or of equal acreage: Provided, That no State shall select public lands in a grazing district in furtherance of any exchange unless the lands offered by the State in such exchange lie within such grazing district and the selected lands lie in a reasonably compact body which is so located as not to interfere with the administration or value of the remaining land in such district for grazing purposes as set forth in this Act. "When_an_exchange is based on lands of equal acreage and the selected lands are mineral in character, the patent thereto shall contain a reservation of all minerals to the United States; and in making exchanges of equal acreage the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to accept title to offered lands which are mineral in character, with a mineral reservation to the State.

"For the purpose of effecting exchanges based on lands of equal acreage the identification and area of unsurveyed school sections may be determined by protraction or otherwise. The selection by the State of lands in lieu of any such protracted school sections shall be a waiver of all of its right to such sections.

"(d) Before any such exchange under this section shall be effected, notice of the contemplated exchange, describing the lands involved, shall be published by the Secretary of the Interior once each week for four successive weeks in some newspaper of general circulation in the county or counties in which may be situated the lands to be accepted, and in the same manner in some like newspaper published in any county in which may be situated any lands to be given in such exchange; lands conveyed to the United States under this Act shall, upon acceptance of title, become public lands, and if located within the exterior boundaries of a grazing district they shall become a part of the district within the boundaries of which they are

AMENDMENT OF GRAZING ACT, 1934

645

located: Provided, That either party to an exchange based upon equal value under this section may make reservations of minerals, easements, or rights of use. Where reservations are made in lands conveyed either to or by the United States the right to enjoy them shall be subject to such reasonable conditions respecting ingress and egress and the use of the surface of the land as may be deemed necessary. Where mineral reservations are made by the grantor in lands conveyed by the United States, it shall be so stipulated in the patent, and any person who prospects for or acquires the right to mine and remove the reserved mineral deposits may enter and occupy so much of the surface as may be required for all purposes incident to the prospecting for, mining and removal of the minerals therefrom, and may mine and remove such minerals, upon payment to the owner of the surface for damages caused to the land and improvements thereon. No fee shall be charged for any exchange of land made under this Act except one-half of the cost of publishing notice of a proposed exchange as herein provided."

SEC. 4. Section 10 of such Act is amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 10. That, except as provided in sections 9 and 11 hereof, all moneys received under the authority of this Act shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts, but 25 per centum of all moneys received under this Act during any fiscal year is hereby made available, when appropiated by the Congress, for expenditure by the Secretary of the Interior for the construction, purchase, or maintenance of range improvements, and 50 per centum of the money received under this Act during any fiscal year shall be paid at the end thereof by the Secretary of the Treasury to the State in which the grazing districts or the lands producing such moneys are situated, to be expended as the State Legislature of such State may prescribe for the benefit of the county or counties in which the grazing districts or the lands producing such moneys are situated: Provided, That if any grazing district or any leased tract is in more than one State or county, the distributive share to each from the proceeds of said district or leased tract shall be proportional to its area in said district or leased tract."

SEC. 5. Section 15 of such Act is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 15. The Secretary of the Interior is further authorized, in his discretion, where vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved lands of the public domain are so situated as not to justify their inclusion in any grazing district to be established pursuant to this Act, to lease any such lands for grazing purposes, upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe: Provided, That preference shall be given to owners, homesteaders, lessees, or other lawful occupants of contiguous lands to the extent necessary to permit proper use of such contiguous lands, except, that when such isolated or disconnected tracts embrace seven hundred and sixty acres or less, the owners, homesteaders, lessees, or other lawful occupants of lands contiguous thereto or cornering thereon shall have a preference right to lease the whole of such tract, during a period of ninety days after such tract is offered for lease, upon the terms and conditions prescribed by the Secretary."

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