The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1889-05-23
ADDITIONAL LOCAL.
Our School Lands.

Now that our constitutional candi
dates are elected, it behooves them t
realize the importance of the position
The subject OF Montana school land.
ought to be considered as not the las,
nor least of the subjects brought before
that body whose labors will share the
future destiny of the Montana school,
fund. Since education is the one es.
sential element of good government it il
the duty of that body, which has the
power to give to Montana such a school
fund as no other state in the Union has
ever known. Now just how to establish
this fund is matter of no small import
I ance, concerning which there are a
great many theories, perhaps as many as
there are delegates to the constitutional
convention. 1t will be remembered that
every 10Th and 36th section of land has
been set aside by congress for school
purposes, the principal Of which cannot
be used, only tho interest or income de-
rived therefrom. Now thenl shall we
dispose Of this land and invest the
money in some safe and profitable Sc
curity, and place the interest therefrom
IN the general school fund, or shall we
loaso tho land on soue Koou substantial
basis and place the income in the gen.
eral school fund? It simply resolves
itself into this proposition: Whichever
disposition of this land will produce the
larger school fund for Montana is the
way to handle it.
The experiences of other states 20 to
show that to sell the land at price that
it can be sold at on the organization of q
state generally will make a very small
school fund. And it is a we'll known
fact that to put Montana's school lands
on the market at the present time, it
would bring but very nominal amount.
Would it not be wise plan to lease this
land? After careful thought and con-
sideration the writer is of the opinion
thet the money realized from the sales
# these lands could not be invested IN
any safe way SO as to realize as great an
amount as could be obtained from rent
ing the same. Some May object to this
plan of handling the land on the ground
that it would require great many men
to look after and see that all the lands
are rented, the rent paid and deposited
to the proper fund; but this can all be
obviated by authorizing the assessors of
the several counties to assess these lands
at the time of his regular work; the
treasurer collect the rent (Which, of
course, would be fixed by the constitu-
tional convention) in the same manner
in which he collects other taxes and
place it to the credit of the school fund.-
In this way it could be done without an
officer more than we would be compelled
to have in our regular corps.
Montana to-day ranks seco1d to none
Of the territories in its general resources,
and we may we'll be proud of it's schools
that are only in their infancy.
Death Of Cant, j. f. Coulter
The many old friends and acquaint-
ances of Capt. J. E. Coulter will be
panied to hear of his death, which oc-
Cured in strange manner last Monday
evening at the town of Winslow, on the
Central railroad.
Mr.. Coulter was on his way to Helena
to qualify for the Office Of deputy mine
to which position he had just
been appointed, and when at Winslow
The train stopped to wait for the Butte
bound train, and many of the passengers
,ot off and were walking around. Mr..
youltar was at tho foot Of an omhank J