Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-02-22
The Public Lands,

The Pierre Press gives, in its issue o.
the 10Th inst. the full text of the public
lands bill, introduced in the senate by
Thomas Of Codington county, over
which there has been so much dis
cussion pro and con as to its merits.
This bill provides for the apportion-
ment of the public lands granted the
state by congress) to the state institu-
tions already. and to be hereafter estab-
lished, as follows
To the school Of mines at Rapid City,
forty thousand acres.
To the reform school at Piankinton,
forty thousand acres.
To the deaf and dumb asylum at Sioux
Falls, forty thousand acres.
| To the agricultural college at Brook
ings forty thousand acres.
To the university at Vermillion, forty
thousand acres.
To the normal school at Madison,
twenty thousand acres.
To the normal school at Spearfish,
twenty thousand acres.
| 10 the normal school at Forest City,
twenty thousand acres.
= To western hospital for the insane
at Custer City, twenty thousand acres Of
the grant for "other educational and
charitable purposes"
To state public school at Watertown,
sixty thousand acres of the grant for
''other educational and charitable pur-
poses.
To blind asylum at point in Hand
county between Miller and st. Law
renee, twenty-five thousand acres Of the
grant for "other educational and charit-
able purposes"
To tie hospital for the insane at
Yankton, tN enty-fve thousand acres of
the grant for "other educational and
charitable purposes"
TO an industrial school and school for
manual training at point within one of
the counties of Day, Marshall, Grant,
Sphinx, Clark and Hamlin, to be desig
mated by commission consisting Of five
citizens of the state to be appointed by
the governor, twenty thousand acres Of
the grant for "other educational and
charitable purposes"
A preparatory college a point within
one Of the counties of Turner, McCook,
Hanson, Miner, Kingsbury and San
born, to be designated by commission
of five citizens of the state TO be ar
pointed by the governor, twenty thous-
and acres.
Sec. 3. The lands granted to the terri
tory Of Dakota by the act Of congress of
Feb. Is, 1881 and vested in the State of
South Dakota by section IA of the act Of
congress of Feb. 22, 1889, are hereby ap-
portioned and set aside Tor the use of
and support Of a central state university
at Huron.
Sec. 4. The lands granted by section
l6, of the act Of congress of Feb. 22,
1889, are hereby apportioned as follows,
to-wit:
To the agricultural college at Brook
ings sixty thousand acres.
To an agricultural college at Aber-
deem sixty thousand acres.
This bill has met with much criticism,
some of which was exceedingly caustic
in its character, and the inference is
plain, that however honest the inten-
tions of the promoters of the measure
may be. there is a deep seated i'm
preston prevailing that there is fairly
we'll developed African hidden some
where in the woodpile. There is, how
ever, two sides to all questions, and the
supporters of the measure are as loud in
its defense as its opponents are in its
denunciation. Commenting upon the
merits of the bill, the Press says:
While there is an element of danger
in this bill, there is also large element
of fairness. In addition TO other specific
grants of land to South Dakota by the
omnibus enabling acts, there was grant
Of 10000 acres "for such other educa-
tional and charitable purposes as the
legislature Of the state may determine"
In addition to this 10000 acres is
granted for agricultural colleges i'm adj
dition to the 10000 acres granted to an
agricultural college. 1t is this 10000
acres that IL being apportioned, except
as to the agricultural college. There are
certain charitable institutions that may
be necessary at some future time, not
ably blind asylum and one or two ad-
ditional insane hospitals. 1t will prob
ably be years before this land is avail
able, for it cannot be sold for less than
ten dollars per acre, and until that time
arrives the institutions cannot be started.
III new institutions are to be located
they should in all fairness be located in
the northern portion of the state, as all
that we now have, except the agricult-
ural college, are in the extreme south
ern portion. The fact Of combination
does not necessarily mean q steal, as
some are pleased to call this measure,
and we regret to see this spirit mani
tested. The Free Press has no interest in
this matter other than in the interest Of
good and economic government, but we
fail to see anything in this measure that
should call down indignation upon the
promoters. On the contrary, it looks
more like legitimate effort to provide
for an equitable division Of the inherit
ance Of the state when the time shall ar
rive for the division. Let us all bs fair
and give this, as all other measures, a
free and fair hearing, and not condemn
unheard. As TO the locations proposed
we have nothing to say, and as to the
strength OF the measure we know moth
Ing, but it has the appearance Of equity
with 1t, which should be duly consid-
cred.