The record-union., 1893-05-02
LIEU LANDS.
How Land Sharks Managed Matters
in the Past.
The Land Grabbers Control the Land
Legislation and Fix Things to
Suit Their Own Purposes.

EDS. RECoRD-UNIoN have observed
In the newspapers recently comments on
the manner in which the business in the
state Surveyor Office had been
managed, and rejecting rather severely
on the same. Some writers attribute the
bad condition of affairs to improper or
defective laws, providing or governing
the sale of State lands. Others claim that
the trouble has been caused by neglect of
duty or maIfeasance on the part of the
Surveyor-General.
When the State Land Office was created
by Act Of the Legislature, in 1858, the
State Surveyor General was made
oificio Register. The same year the
first law was passed providing for the
sale of the school lands for cash. There
were then lands in abundance in our
great valleys, free and open to all who
desired to avail themselves of the United
States pre-emption laws. Our legisla-
ton at that time, not being under the in
ftuence of land sharks" restricted pur-
chasers to $40 acres, properly guarded by
al1davlts as to the good faith OF the ap-
plicant.
In after years, when our country be-
gan to fill up with people seeking homes,
good lands were not so easily obtained.
Then 1t was that the land sharks saw
their opportunity and commenced opera
tlons. Since that time the laws govern
ing the sale OF State lands have several
times been changed. and L believe every
time at the suggestion and in the inter-
est OF land spectators, regardless or in
ignorance of what was for the benefit of
the State.
Our new Constitution provided that
the agricultural lands belonging to the
State should be sold only to actual set
tiers and occupants of the same, not to
exceed so acres TO one person. 1t was
claimed that timber or grazing lands did
not come under the constitutional pro-
vision. In 1882 the land spectators had
bill introduced in the Legislature al
lowing the purchaser to buy from the
state go acres of timber or grazing land
at 81 per acre, no occupation ofthe land
required.
Atthat time was an employe in the
Surveyor Generals office, and as it was
generally,known that | had had long ex-
peTience in State land matters, l was re-
quested to go before a Senate committee
that had under consideration the bill re-
terred to. IL was my intention to
strongly oppose the bill, calling attention
to the fact that the Regents of the State
University, gentlemen serving without
SoAdAS Dlll Illt NGlldTe OI LDG late
anq the University at heart, had disposed
OF their grant of $780, 900 acres at S5 per acre,
and that their land agent had in
formed me that they could have disposed
OF twice that amount If they only had it.
should have urged that the State should
sell no timber land for less than IS per
acre and to restrict sales to $40 acres to
person i'll order to guard against mo-
nopoly, as the law had provided twenty
five years before.
was asked some questions concern
ing the bill, but before L could answer
Senator said he had submitted the bill to
the surveyor General and that he had ap-
proved of it and would advocate its pas
sage. L then said l am subordinate in
the Surveyor Generals Office and if [
entertain different views on the subject
1t would not be proper for me to express
them. l said nothing further. The bill
became law and is still in force.
1t does not appear to have been the
policy Of the Surveyor-GeneralS certain
ly for many years past, to try to shape
legislation in the interest of the State
concerning land matters. They urged our
delegation in Congress to procure the
passage of the bill allowing the State
lieu for the mineral school sections but
most of those whom L have conversed
with claim that the prime object was 10
get at the lieu TO be sold at from s. to 81
per acre when the law took effect.
Some ten years ago similar lieu bill
was before Congress and came very near
passing, and was expected to pass by in
terested parties here. About that time
person who was in q position to know
told me that at the time of the change in
administration of the Office, letter di-
rected officially, butrelating to a very i'm
portant private matter, came into the
hands of parties it was not intended for.
1t referred to contract, or agreement
which had been made by someone in au-
thority in the offices, to sell or dispose of
all of the lieu on basis to become avail
able when the said mineral bill became a
law. The party who made the statement
to me said that a certified copy, under
notarial seal of said letter, was in the
possession of someone.
When +. A. Hyde, in his argument be-
fore the urveyor-General and his adj
visors recently, said that it would ueyer
do to trust the disposal of the lieu to the
Surveyor-General, that he or his clerks
would be making improper use or dis
posal of it, or words to that effect, he
paid poor compliment TO that officer
and those who have preceded him, and
should think they would resent it. | can
see no reason why a Surveyor-General
intrusted with the States property in the
form of lieu or basis should not be
aCtuateu Dy tne same principle OF honesty,
and be just as honest as the State Treas
urer, who has the custody of the States
money.
AS an instance to show how the school
fund has been made to suffer in order
that lieu might be obtained to sell, will
state that quite large amount of lieu
land, which had been LISTED" to the State
by the United States, has been cancelled
by the authorities at Washington. Per-
haps after the listing it was found that a
portion OF the basis used by the State was
not good. She was called on to supply
good basis. 1t was not supplied. The
whole selection was cancelled, thereby
releasing the valid lieu to be used again,
under the provisions of an Act of Con-
gress known as the Booth bill. The pur-
chasers from the State, when the United
States did not make the title good to the
State, had the privilege of buying their
land from the United States at the same
price-$l 25 per acre. The State title was
surrendered; all the money paid as princi-
pal and interest, perhaps ten years. inter-
est. drawn out of the State school land
and State school fund-a very good
financial operation for the parties who
managed it. l have never known or
heard of any attempt on the part of the
Surveyor-GeneraPs Office to stop such
operations.
During Governor Booths administra-
ton THERE was trouble in relation to lieu
land matters. Not being familiar with
the subject, he applied to me for informa-
ton. l wrote out for him statement,