The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-05-19

LTlcL: Livery SuTfeyOI-SOHO'o 0'"i'
engage a sufficient number of skillful
surveyors as his deputies, to whom he is
authorized to administer the necessary
oaths upon their appointments" He has
authority to frame regulations for their
direction, consistent with law and the
instructions of the general land office,
and to remove them for negligence and
misconduct in office. The practice of
allowing the lowest bidder to secure the
contract, and of considering such lowest
bidder as responsible when he can COM
ply with the form of giving bond in
twice the estimated amount of the con-
tract, is, we think, highly reprehensible
ON account of the inducement it offers
for fraud. 1t seems t. have been the
intention of the law makers to have
only skillful SURVEYORS as deputies to
suryevors-general. The good intentions
of the law maker are thwarted where
the practice is to allow any one who may
be awarded contract, to become U. 5.
deputy surveyor. In certain states and
territories contracts for the surveys of
thousands of acres of land have been let
to spectators, who were not only ignor-
ant of the theory and practice of sur
veying, but who were notably deficient
in the proper qualifications, responsible
ity, fitness and integrity that should
characterize every one who receives the
appointment as U. S. deputy surveyor
No wonder that under such a system
thousands upon thousands of acres of
useless @nds were surveyed, or rather
platted, and boundaries of lands that are
desirable for entry by homestead or
other acts, are in such shape that in
the end expensive litigation must be
resorted to in order to decide the dis
puted boundaries, most of which might
have been avoided had the public sur
veys been honestly and fairly executed
in the first instance. The only interest
that the specializing capitalist reasonably
can be expected to have in a contract
for government surveying, is his mileage,
or the profits derived from sub-letting
the contracts to irresponsible surveyors,
who are, like himself, identified in inter-
est with the country in which they
come, only SO long as it may offer lucra-
tive remuneration for such questionable
procedure.
AS advertised by the surveyor general
of Montana lately, the bids for public
surveys were required to be for certain
rates per mile-the rate varying accord
ing to the character of the line-and not
to exceed certain minimum rates allowed
by law. 1t now trarspires that the word
minimum should have been maximum,
and as a consequence, those who were
posted as regards the true construction to
be placed upon the equivocal wording OF
that section of the Digest of General
Land Office instructions for the fiscal
year 1856, were not slow to conclude
SSOrV, p0"OE ---.--A--------
rates could be entertained, or in other
words, that the lowest bidder would be
the successful one. When we consider
that the lands now to be surveyed are to
be let at very low rates compared with
rates of several years since, and that the
easier portions of the country have been
surveyed at higher rates, and that the
contracts to embrace anything like
respectable area at present would neces-
state the surveying of distinct and
separate townships several miles apart,
in many instances, we should not be
surprised that many prominent and ex-
perienced engineers and surveyors have
not bid for the work. Add to the above
objections q few others, viz: "Retrace-
ment of lines deemed necessary in con-
nection with the surveying work must
be done without compensation, A+Adep-
uties must retrace township extensions
or subdivisional lines (of former surveys
in order to properly close surveys, at
their own expense, as legitimate con-
tingent in executing their contracts. #"*#
No allowance will be made for any sur
yeys not specifically authorized by the
commissioner. These latter objections
would not be 80 serious, were it not for
the fact that In many instances the cor
ners described as established upon the
lines Of old surveys, have disappeared
along with all evidence of their ever
having existed upon the ground, thus
necessitatipg not only retracement, but
a re-survey of the lines in question, to-
gether with an establishment of the cor
ners that should have been properly
placed in the first instance. Much of
the fraudulent surveying is due to the
slipshod manner of formerly receiving
and approving surveys, without having
them examined by the encouragement
or by his properly deputied and conf.
dental agent, as provided by law, whilst
the surveys are in progress in the field.
When we consider the unnecessary
and unwarranted expenditure of large
sums of money for general surveys upon
waste and useless lands, such lands hay
ing been surveyed by contractors, simply
because they were accessible and easy to
survey and therefore profitable to the
contractors when the mileage should be
drawn, and upon fraudulent surveys,
we cannot but regret that the statute of
limitations has run upon their cases, so
that their carcasses and their bonds are
free from legal procedure. Any system
of surveys that will, through fraud OF
error entail upon the settler unnecessary |
expense and litigation before he can
definitely define the boundaries Of his |
claim, is a disgrace to the institutions of
our country. It is to be hoped that the
powers that be" viii not for the present |
be penny wise" in the interest of spec
ulators, the result Of which would ulti-
mately prove to be pound foolish" 30 |
far Is the interests of future settlers are
concerned. Fair and reasonable rates
are necessary to compensate the skilled
and qualified surveyor for doing good |
work. Skill results from practice or
experience. The honest worker can not
with the dishonest Spectator
who will bid at low rate and then slight |