Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 48 Part 1.djvu/1003

 73d CONGRE SS. SESS. II. CHS. 557, 558. JUNE 16, 1934 . 977 [CHAPTER 557 .1 AN ACT June 16, 1934. To amend the Mineral Lands Leasing Act of 1920 with reference to oil- or gas- 	[S .3723.1 prospecting permits and leases. [Public, No. 373.1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States o f America in Congress assembled, That the Act fng Act of 1920,~ a. entitled "An Act to promote the mining of coal, phosphate, oil, oil ed. shale, gas, and sodium on the public domain ", approved February vol. 41, p.461. 25, 1920, as amended, is amended by adding the following new section " SEO. 40. (a) All prospecting permits and leases for oil or gas made or issued under the provisions of this Act shall be subject to the condition that in case the permittee or lessee strikes water while drilling instead of oil or gas, the Secretary of the Interior may, when such water is of such quality and quantity as to be valuable and usa ble at a rea sonabl e cost for a gricult ural, domest ic, or other purposes, purchase the casing in the well at the reasonable value thereof to be fixed under rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary : Provided, That the land on which such well is situ- ated shall be reserved as a water hole under section 10 of the Act of December 29, 1916 . "(b) In cases where water wells producing such water have here- tofore been or may hereafter be drilled upon lands embraced in any prospecting permit or lease heretofore i ssued under the Act of February 25, 1920, as amended, the Secretary may in like manner purchase the casing in such wells. "(c) The Secretary may make such purchase and may lease or operate such wells for the purpose of producing water and of using the same on the public lands or of dispo sing of such water for beneficial use on other lands, and where such wells have heretofore been plugged or abandoned or where such wells have been drilled prior to the issuance of any permit or lease by persons not in privity with the p ermit tee or le ssee, the Secr etary may deve lop t he sa me for the purposes of this section : Provided, That owners or occupants of lands adjacent to those upon which such water wells may be developed shall have a preference right to make beneficial use of such water . "(d) The Secretary may use so much of any funds available for the plugging of wells, as he may find necessary to start the program provided for by this section, and thereafter he may use the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of such water as a revolving fund for the continuation of such program, and such proceeds are hereby appropriated for such purpose. "(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict opera- tions under any oil or gas lease or permit under any other provision of this Act ." Approved, June 16, 1934. [CHAPTER 558.] JOI NT RESOLUTION Au thorizing suitable m emorials i n honor of James Wil son and Se aman A . Knapp. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States o f America in Congress assembled, That the archway connecting the new building of the Department of Agriculture (commonly known a s the " South Building ") with the west wing of the main building of the Department of Agriculture shall be designated the " Wilson Memorial Arch " in memory of James 86 637•-34 	 62 Purchase of casings in wells when water suita ble f or ag ricu lture , etc ., is struck. Proviso. water hol es. Vol. 39, pp. 885, 518. Purchase of water wells upon l ands em- brace d in any prosp ect- ing permit. Opening and operat- ing plugged or aban- doned wells . Proviso. Preferential rights of vicinity. Use of avail able sums to initiate pro- gr am and pro eee ds from sales as revolving fund . No restriction, unless stipulated . June 16, 193 4 . [S .J.Res. 160.] [Pub. Res. No. 331 Department of Agri- culture . Me morial arch ways authorized. "Wilson Memorial Arch ."