New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-09-14

s
says that there are about 1000, 900
acres within the surveyed limits be.
sides the amounts referred to fill the
above grants (already made) and
that about half of the 10000, 600
acres of :unsurveyed lands will in.
ure to the State as swamp lands.
As we said at the outset, every
one knows what minnesota Swamp
Lands have suggested in the past.
They have suggested to the minds
Of reading people = gigantic dona.
ton Of millions of the money be-.
longing to the State that should
have reverted to its treasury for the
support of State institutions and
not to the ACKNOWLEDGMENT and pro.
fit Of individual schemers in the
way of land grants to railway cor.
.porations. For such emoluments
about s, 651, 165 acres have been
donated, or at very low estimate,
1888, 495. Is it not high time
that quietus be put on this sort Of
wholesale confiscation! We think
so: and every man who gives the
matter a moments reflection will
come to the same conclusion. To
stay this wrong the last Legislature
proposed an amendment to Section
2, Article 8 Of the Constitution of
the State, relating to swamp lands,
and reading as follows:
All swamp lands now held by
the State, or that may hereafter &C.
crue to the State, shall be appraised
and sold in the same manner and by
the same officers, and the minimum
price shall be the same less one.
third, as is provided by law for the
appraisement and sale of school
lands, under the provisions of title
one, chapter thirty EIGHT of the gem
eral statutes. The principal Of all
funds derived from swamp lands as
aforesaid shall be preserved invio.
late and undiminished. One half of
the proceeds of said principal shall
be appropriated to the common
school fund of the State and the re-.
naming one.half shall be appropri-
ated to the educational and charita-
BILE institutions of the State, in the
relative ratio of cost to support said
Institutions
Now the above proposition will
oe submitted to the people at the
fall election, for their approval or
rejection. If approved, the people
will be relieved from taxation for
the support of State institutions to
the amount of annual proceeds of
the swamp land fund, if not approx
ed the old regime will continue.
It is well known that an opinion
has been held that swamp lands
were granted to the State for spe-
cific purpose, and that any DISPOSE.
ton of them other than came with.
in the scope of that specification
was invalid. This is not a fact.
The Supreme Court in recent de.
cision, holds in effect that swamp
lands become the property of the
State in which they are located,
and as sequence the State. can
dispose Of them in any manner it
sees fit, the same as any other State
property.
It is only to be regretted that
such an amendment as the one now
proposed, could not have been pass.
ed years ago, as in that event it
would have saved the best of lands.
AS it now stands, much of the most
desirable of these lands will be ia.
ken to supply grants already made.
but notwithstanding this fact a
large tract Of valuable soil will vet
remain. Not one-tenth of the so. |
called swamp lands are swamp lands
proper, and" therefore worthless:
they are rich bottom lands extend.
ing from streams and lakes and are
among the most valuable lands Of |
the State, and now is the time to
fasten them to the credit of the
State and the tai. payers.
The swamp lands are situated !
south of Rainy Lake, north of Lake !
about the head waters Of |
the Mississippi in the western part |
Of the State and in the Red River
country. These sections are destin. |
I'd, and that very soon, to be in de.
mand by the rapidly advancing
settlements, and can be disposed Of
readily. Under the provisions of
the proposed amendment the mini.
mum price Of the swamp land is
1888 per acre. Surprising for in.
stance, that 1000, 600 acres can be
'old at these figures. it will turn
over to the State Sc, $50, 900. Now
AXE this amount at 6 per cent. and
We find the annual income to be
nearly $500, 900.
This question is one that should
oe laid before the tax payers of MIN.
aesota without delay, that they
nay see just what kind of an oppor.
unity is afforded them for much
'elief from taxation, and that they
nay act accordingly. We hope the
papers of the State generally will
give the facts publicity, as it is
'omething in which every tax payer
9 interested.
lWausau Central Wisconsin,
Being asked concerning the Oil, Nh.
lug. Kickbqsch informed the aues.
Toner that st. Jacobs Oil had proved |
N excellent and most useful remedy