St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-21
He Address a House Commit
tee on the Forfeiture
Act
OF the Duluth & Winnipeg
Grant, and Shows How
the State
Is to Be Robbed of Millions
Now Sorely Needed
by 1t.

at one time, ana afterwards as a rail-
road commissioner, have given this
question of swamp land grants" said
Gen. j. Ell. Baker, "a thorough study,
and have written history upon it.''
The general was addressing the house
committee on public lands, and advo-
eating the forfeiture of the Duluth s.
Winnipeg swamp land grant to the
state: His address was fOrcible-marked
with keen discrimination as to the
rights and wrongs of the case, and elo-
quent in the demand that the state
should not be robbed by the defeat Of
the Lightly bill to forfeit the grant.
Duluth is the commercial head of the
Northwest, and all raili Dads must tend
toward here. They cannot avoid thit,
since she is the gateway to the avenue
leading to the Liverpool trade. For this
reason, and knowing the tO-be future
prosperity of the Duluth belt, am Op-
posed to subsidizing any railroad with
land grants. This road will be built
whether the state gives it this grant or
not. When the OppOrtune moment
comes for the Boston capital behind it
to build. the road will be constructed
land or no land. Its route is the quick
valley and the fields of the
Northwest that can be had, and
the call for the construction Of
the system isimperatlve. You can un-
derstand as we'll as that this Duluth Sc
Winnipeg system, with such terminals
as it possesses, will never although its
grant be fOrfeited) relinqush the
hold already secured by its twenty
miles of road constructed or cease to
push onward until the entire $50 miles
are completed. The Duluth q Winni-
peg is going to be built, aRd the ques-
ton OF tliis grant does not enter into it's
construction. 1t is my experience that
railroads rarely use their grants to
build with.
The spirit of the time in congress. in
the co, rts, and in public sentimentis
against the granting OF any more land
to railroads. There was time when
land grants were favored, but that has
passed, and the people whom you rep
resent are now with one accord in IA
vor of the reverslOn to the state of all
swamp land grants unearned or for
feited. Private capital builds railroads
now, and not a too-Open public purse.
wish you to look at this in its broadcast
light, and to understand that while
l am not personal enemy
of the road, / am here to
plead for the restoration to the school
fund and the charitable institutions of
the state of lands Sorely needed by
them. The land contained within this
grant comprises over 2,200,000 acres. 1t
is my experience with the railroads that
at the present time they receive for
ther lands per acre from 50 to 81. The
value of these particular lands is, then,
not far from S9.000,000-a magnificent
sum-whicb you are practically asked
to present to railroad which will be
built whether or no the grant is
given. / insist that such an act
upon your part will not alone
be contrary to the best interests
of the state, but opposed to a public
sentiment which will hold you Iespon-
sible. The amendment to the constitu-
ton made i'll 1881, and which provides
that all swamp lands of the state un-
earned or forfeited shall revert to the
schoo! fund and the state institutions.
passed by the largest vote ever cast for
any constitutional amendment in this
state Does not this give evidence to
you that public sentiment, oyerwhelm-
ingly indOrSing this amendment, will
as overwhelmingly condemn you if you
rob the school and charitable institution
funds or s9,00O,0OO? Our state in
stitutiOnS are already heavy
tax, and one which is growing
every day. Revert this grant to the
state and. in due process of time, you
provide for them fund of 4,5OO, 600,
and for our precious and cherished
school fund S4,500,0d0 as well. The
states finances are not SO we'll condi-
toned that you, or any member of this
delegation, can afford to support bills
robbing - deliberately robbing the
treasury of all immense sum OF money
due it.
Stripping the arguments of the oppo-
nents of this forfeiture bill of their So
phstry and calmly studying each sue
cessive act of legislation relat-
ing to this grant, syllable for
syllable and word for word,
you will find that if this grant belongs
to any railroad company it is vested in
the Brainerd ~ Northwestern. But the
issue has not been made from that quar-
ter. The proposition you are consider
ing is the forfeiture of the Duluth &
Winnipeg grant, which. by its repre-
SentativeS' admissions, is already under
taint of forfeiture. and which you have
tine power to forfeit and to revert to -
state. | address you in the cause vi
education and of those highest interests
of the state-ber school fund and chari-
table institutions"
Gen. Bakers exposition of the sub
ject commanded close attention and
made a strong impression upon the com
mittee. Mr.. Billson. of Duluth; w. p.
Warner, of ST. Paul, and ex-senator
Steenerson, of CrookstOn, spoke for the
Duluth E Winnipeg. but not at length.
Representative Roberts introduced
the enabling act for the Duluth & Win
nipeg yesterday, which proposes to con-
firm the grant and its title in the COM
pany. If the Lightly forfeiture bill
does not pass this enabling act will be
pushed.