The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-23
STATE SCHOOL LANDS
Report and accommodations Made
BY The State Board Of Land
Commissioners
4 Respectable Amount Of Money
Now on Hand for .
Starter.
A Large Sam Being Carried Frem Which
the seats Does Not Realize
q Cent.

the stats Does Not Realize
In their last report TO the governor tina
state board of land commissioner ssid;
IN our report fsT 1891 W called attention
to ths amendments Of section 227b, Revised
Statues Of the Uaited States. The third
clause Of NE instruction Issued BY the con-
missioner Of the general land ONCE and ap-
proved BY the secretary Of the Interior. ad-
dressed to registers and receivers OF Who
United States land ofacss. regarding the
cases we're indemnity for lost school lands
would bs allowed. Esads ~ follows: Where
actions 16 or Sc are fractional in quantity
or whore one or bsth are wanting BY reason
Of ths township being fractional, OF from
any natural casse whatever. OuS undss-
standing Of what was meant BY , fractional
township was, that u was = township partly
surveyed, % that whenever sections 16 or So
were wholly or partly wanting By Eesson Of
suoh partial survey the state was entitled
to indemnify therefore. With this
in view lists were prepared covering
the losses from this cause In the
Miasoula district and filed in the land Of
fee At Missoula, anticipating, OF course,
their approval by the land oficers. But.
instead are informed. under date Of Dec.
%. 1892, that the register and receiver do
not aRres with N a. TO the proper defini-
ton Of . fractional township. and that the
lists we're rejected, subject, Of course. to
our right Of appeal. An appeal was prompt
~ nlsd in the case. On the 18th Of March,
1892, the commissioner rendered a decision
in the case affirming the decision Of the
register and receiver. From this the state
aRaiA appealed.
''1his appeal 10 still pending in the office
Of the secretary of the interior. A decision
IL expected at an early date. and in view Of
the great importance Of it and the great in
tsrest involved, II was decided to wait until
II was had before making further selection
Of Indemnity lands. Ii 10 believed shat
several hundred thousand seres' of land are
involved.
1--WE estimate that the state will also be
entitled TO indemnity for lands lost by
settlement prior to survey to the extent Of
about 40, 900 acres, but IL our view of what
constitutes . fractional township should
prevail, this will DO increased TO probably
ten times that amount. The selection OF
such an amount OF land was at oncs found
to be a task Of NO small magnitude. Two
important matters confront us. The first.
and the second, TO Ind land that shall have
some valve, OF that will produce some rev
snus when found. Tn first could Of
course be overcome. but there would bs
but little object in alinR selections fer
lands that would not, a. We have said. pro-
lrno ~ovrAAh;Snr ~hAn na1nOtaH Tn nne "a
port for 1891, In referring to this matter.
We said: II having become apparent to the
board from the reports Of the state .
agent and from other SOURCES that 1t would
be impossible to find suitable vacant sur
vsysd lands In sufficient quantities to
satisfy the various grants to the state. the
state land agent WAS directed to make an
examination of the unsurveyed lands in the
Flathsad valley and vicinity. and report to
the board the result Of this Investigations"
"The result was hat twenty-five town
.hips Of unsurveyed land we're selected and
are situated in the northwestern portion of
the state. and are valuable chiefly for their
timber. The advent Of the Great Northern
railway, however. has brought an influx Of
settlers into that part OF the state, and they
also were attracted BY the valuable timber
there and began to settle in these townships
with = view to securing title thereto. This
soon became = matter of such Importance
that il WAS felt to be the duty of the board
to take some action to protect the interests
of the state. With this In view the COVER
nor Of the state and the president of the
views with the commissions of the general
land office and the secretary of the interior,
an order was issued reservinR the lands,
"By this it will be seen that the prefer
encs right OF the state was secured to but
six townships, IL being held, ~ We under
AAa~N RhaA 1thAp raWtSaA Nd -nnNA n-.1s
cations for the survey of the remaining
townships and that in consequence thereof
the state was not entitled to an order of
withdrawal from settlement and entry on
them. The townships to which the prefer
ence right was given had been settled upon
to q small extent. but IL is expected that
three-fourths Of the area will become the
property of the state, and that portions of
the others will also be subject to selection.
"The amount OF land thus far appraised
and the value thereof, is as follows:
"1n Missoula county. sc. 1900 acres. val
per acre.
I'm Gallatin county, 4s. 100 acres. valued
at S493. 4S0, an average value Of $40. % per
acre.
In Lewis and Clarke county. 40, $50 acres,
valued at 1925. OS0. an average of $5.55 per
acre.
"In Cascade county 1851 acres, valued nj
$43S, SIT. An average OF $7.2 per acre. Civ
ing a total acreage in the four counties of
1877, 97l, n a total valuation of $l,495, z99,
nm average value per acre of the whole of
$7.SS.
1.-The total amount received and TO be re-
oeived from all sources to Dec. l, 1892, Q, ed
tied aud to be credited to the different
funds. ia as follows:
From Gales and leases of state lands. SAN 8 rs
Received from United Ststes, 1891. .... 1907 81
Due from United States. 1874 (esti-
mAted) ........... Il, 600 90
IolsI IL. $5S,337 OS
"The board has not folt authorized under
existing Laws to GO into the market and
purchase bonds at a premium. The result
10 that only about 1921, 600 OF the school
fund has been invested. A large amount
of money. approximatinR $40, 600, Ia being
carried without yielding to the state q cent
OF interest, and this IL especially damaging
in view OF tho fact that congress has pre-
vented Us from using any part Of the pro-
ceeds Of the sale of lands granted for elu-
cational purposes except the interest on she
same. We think that express authority
should DO given to the state board to pur.
CHASE in the open market ut the best price,
and that in addition authority should be
equal to one-third OF the value Of the same,
based upon an appraisal BY the state land
agent and approved by the board. 10 APP
pears to MS that this or some other feasible
method must be employed to secure a rev.
snue from tho sale Of our school lands.
otherwise the policy OF selling must DO
nhanH0nah and n acuknr, - t>~ns~- .-.I-