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Show 223 tional interest in the land.428 And if husband and wife owned property to the extent of 320 acres, they might receive water for that area if the property is owned by them as joint tenants, or tenants in common, or as community property.429 Signifi- cant also is an early ruling that an owner of more than 160 acres of privately owned land could transfer the excess to his wife or minor children, entitling all of them to receive project water.430 Additional questions arose with respect to corporate hold- ings. An early ruling permitted a corporation otherwise com- petent, to acquire a water right under the statute, a decision which has been construed as requiring that the land of the cor- poration for which application is made, together with that of the stockholders subject to Reclamation Law, may not exceed 160 acres.431 A short while later the Secretary ruled that a cor- poration was not qualified to make a water-right application, saying:4S2 I am satisfied that Congress did not intend that these reclaimed lands, upon which the Government is expend- ing the money of all the people, should be the subject of corporate control. These lands are to be the homes of families. This seems to be established conclusively by the fact that we are authorized to fix the farm unit on the basis of the amount of land that will support a family. However, corporations having acquired a water right prior to July 11,1913, were allowed to continue without interference.433 Charitable corporations were later exempted from this ruling.484 4M Bureau of Reclamation Circular Letter No. 565, June 13,1916. 489 Department of the Interior Solicitor's Opinion No. M-34172, August 21, 1945. 480 Instructions of the Secretary of the Interior, 32 L. D. 647 (1904). m Williston Land Co., 37 L. D. 428 (1909); Landownebship Stjbvey on Fedeeal Reclamation Pbojects, Department of the Interior, p. 37 (1946). ^Instructions of the Secretary of the Interior, 42 L. D. 250 (1913); Pleasant Valley Farm Co., 42 L. D. 253 (1913). mIbid. 484 Unpublished Departmental Decision, Department of the Interior, Decem- ber 5,1916. 911611-51-----16 |