Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-03-03
STATE LAND OEFICE.


tits proposed to abolish the Land Office at
the end of the present calendar year. and
resolve to that effect has been reported and
is now in progress before the legislature. 10
one at least, this action seems premature and
very ill advised. 1t is true that very large
art CT the work which formerly occupied the
attention Of the department in the sale OF iand
has passed away, and when the remainder OF
the lands are sold, as suggested by the Land
Agent. his work will be still further reduced.
Bat still there remains a very important duty
to be performed which forbids summary
disposition to be made of the office.
BIZ the last report of the Land Agent, it APP
pears that there is now 10000 acres of land
bonded By the State to settlers, all of which
are now actually occupied by then, and being
made into farms by nearly 1000 families. All
are engaged in paying eli their debts incurred
to the State for their lands by working out the
payment il building roads through the pub
lie domain. Besides these, III 900 acres still
remain, a considerable portion OF which is fit
for settlement, and will be probably soon
taken up. These lands and settlers are found
in some 10 townships. more or less thickly
settled. all Of which have grown up under the
care and supervision of the Land Office.
The work is now in its midst, and no time
has ever existed when that supervisor was
more necessary than ut present. With each
of these settlers an open account nov exists,
gradually being cancelled by the performance
of the settling duties. In aid of the work,
sub-agentS TO the number OF 80 are now APP
pointed, but the whole supervision is directly
with the Land Agent. Last year the report
shows that l20 of the settlers closed their &C
counts and received deeds
e, 4 ae,,s
" important to the State to PEOPLE our wild
lands and thus add to our population and
wealth. To keep it alive there must be
head. a supervisory care or all goes 70 ruin.
The calls for Information are daily, the IN
structions rendered necessary are continual,
demanding work more than one man can
reasonably perform with unremitting industry.
Suspend that work ard of necessity the enter
prise must languish. and the long cherished
policy of the State 10 settle our wilderness be
mainly abandoned.
But it is said the department is al expense
to the State and returns nothing. And with
equal truth the same may be said of the Gov
ernor and Council. the Supreme Court, the
Secretary Of State, the Superintendent OF
Schools. the Adiutant and Attorney General.
These all draw their salary and pay nothing
back bat is this any argument for their abo-
| lltion. The Land office is certainly as I'M
| poriant as some OF these and much more SO
than some. Besides. the Land office last
year paid SS,9I3.l9 into the State Treasury,
and tor the six years since the lands were 50
| largely donated 10 the l. & \. \. Il. Co.,
more than Sl2o 900 by the present Land
Agent, besides large sums for Surveys and
other work In addition to all this are the
very many thousands o. dollars paid by set
tiers in building roads and bridges all through
the county OF Aroosiook, and other parts OF
the forests Of the STATE, sill under the super
vision Of the Land ofiCe.
Nor can This work b. transferred TO any
cher department c: 70 the Governor and
Council, fer the calls are daily and increasing
and require for their performance very in
innate acquaintance with the whole suhjec;
CT tie public lands, their quality. their loca-
ton and all other minutiae, which knovl ledge
it may be said without dlsqaragcment and
without fear a contradiction is produced ny
no other person than the ole who Is espec-
lally appointed to the trust and makes it has
study.
TO ab9I.sh the Office now as proposed, Is 10
II. an END 70 IL TINS and begin the work Of
destroying what the STATE has been for years
SO laao.lausly engaged in bailling up viz
tie system 81 settling the wild lands OF Maine
Il il certainly 10 be hoped that the Legisla'
IGrc VIII hesitate 70 commit 50 suicidal m
az.