The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-03-22
FOR THE SCHOOLS.

Delegate Rawlins, last winter, sug-
gested the opening of the Uinta and
Uncompahgre reservations to white set,
tlement and the allotment of the lands
in severalty to the Indians and the
conveying of the residue to the terri
tory to be sold for the benefit of her
common free schools. We had deter
mined to treat the subject then but in
the press of other important matters
this duty was neglected and finally for
gotten. Yesterday our good friend
Bishop Tanner referred to the subject
urging its advocacy strongly upon US.
No more important matter lies nearer
the interests and the heart of Utah
than this, In this way, if the general
government can or will do it, we will
acquire million or 80 acres of the fin
est lands in the territory, arabic and
irrigable also. If this deal can be
made, let the territory sell to actual
settlers at the market price of the
lands and six per cent. interest, giY-
ing the settlers as long time on it as
they may desire. This would furnish
sum quite sufficient to support all of
our schools royalty and relieve the
taxpayers of all the burdens of their
support.
We trust that those understand
ing the situation of these lands and the
right of the United States to make
such disposition of them, will set
about the task of looking up this mat
ter and memorialize the president, the
secretary of the interior and congress
to this effect. If we have man in the
territory able to devote his time and
efforts, we have not a doubt but it can
be accomplished,a ,and that, too, without
much loss of time. These lands, in
excess OF what will be necessary to
furnish homes on liberal scale to the
Indians, will, if put to this use,
give Utah an endowment for
her public free schools which
will b g second only to that of Texas.
which is the richest endowment in the |
known world. Of course the univer-
5ity and ali normal schools under state
direction should be benefciaries upon |
perfectly fair pro rata.
Now that sort of good thing does not
come to people without labor, hard
labor, and great deal of it. We feel
sure that Mr.. Rawlins will do all in his
power to accomplish the task, but he
will require aid from Utah herself.
This aid must take the form of mem
orials, petitions and personal appeals.
The sooner we set about the work, the
sooner viii it be accomplished. Texas
entered the union upon different
plan from any other state, being an
independent government. In her treaty
of annexation she reserved every acre
Of her public domain. Her congress
had the wisdom to set apart MANY
millions Of acres for the sustenance of
her schools. The state has wisely ap
propriated the residue to the encourage
ment Of railway improvement and up
to very few years since not new line
was projected which did not get alter
nate acres along the line and large :
tracks in any part of the domain where '
they preferred to place their claims. Al Z
The close of the late war she had but Q
sixty miles of railway completed, now
she has nearly ten thousand miles in
operation and is the fifth v
'ailway state in the broad union. Her ?
is very rich. her normal {
chools are well sustained and her
,ublic free schools the envy of the J
World. We hope to see the day when .
Jtsh will have a system of public free = =
chools second only to the system in Ii
Texas.