The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-29
1.-THE MINERAL LANDS
II Is Peoples Duty to Assist the
admission In Its Work. : 3. 80
HobRABLE LOT OF MEN
:, fRssidsrt Appointees Are Fair
jinded and In sympathy
4 with the West--What Mr..
y Leonard Has to Say.

L
butte. April 2s.-Frank M. leonard
! Libby. who was recently appointed
me of the mineral land commissioners
kof the Misyoula district. IS srcneins
hffew days In the city before entering
upon MS oficial duties. MT. l.eensru
stopped on at Missoula ON his way 70
Butte and met two colleagues on he
commission for the Missoula district,
William Harrison of George own Gao
'and w. ". Tompkins OF Prescott, Ark.
4 was 'agreeably surprised In 'nese
geatlemen.'' said Mr.. Leonard to-day.
"Ihey are both lawyers andrer'iemen
Of unusual intelligence and they have
srong free silver and anti-raiiroad
News ana are thoroughly in sympathy
with the West and its interests III
THE commissioners for che other dis
,tricts are as intelligent AM honorsple
as these gentlemen the people OF Mon.
taria can rest assured that they VIII
get a square deal. -
1--WE are waiting now for instructions
from the interior department ID gov
ern our proceedings. as there - mrs
understanding as to just what our GU
ties are. The chairman of our com
mission understood from Chairman
McCrea of the public lands committee
that we were simply to serve as a
board of arbitration and to sit in our
district and hear contests. pn the
other hand. myself and the other COM
rnissioners believe that we are to visit
every tract of land within the ga mt
and pass upon it's character and class
ify 1t. The same lack of understand
ing appears to prevail in the orner
commissions, and we are arxioGsiy
awaiting full instructions, which We
expect every day..
Congressman Hartman has cnucared
himself to all of the people of Non
tana. regardless of party, by his gal
liant and untiring fight for the yreser'
walton of the mineral lands. and there
are very few people who have any idea
of the immense amount Df hard wclh
which this battle for the peoples
rights entailed. Mr.. Hartman believes
| that the mineral land question Is only
second to that of silver, and in a ti1el
| interview on the present situation Wit
a Standard reporter last night while
| ne was waiting for the East-bcunt
| train he advanced some timely stg
| gestions.
He said: while we regret yer,
| much the appointment of non-resi
| dents of Montana as members of tn
mineral land commission, yet II is onl.
fair to these nonresident commission
ers to assume that they will be fai
and just in the performance or thei
| duties, and render such a report an
make such a classification of the land
as will save to the government an
the people all of the mineral land
within the grants. To that END
seems to me that every citizen of IN
state having any information as TO IN
mineral character of any lands Shout
4 furnish that information to the con
| mission OF the district In which IN
land is situated. There Is no dout
that a commission composed OF pract
cal. fair-minded Montana either
| would be able to give us more az
curate classification of the lands tina
| the commission, a majority or Whol
have no information at all as to wh'
are mineral lands, and no knowledt
OF the country to be examined. L a
not certain but IL would JUSTIFY u
state to pay the expenses OF some cor
petent, reliable man to aid each cor
mission and to keep record OF
: lands which might in the Judgment
such person be improperly classlneu
| non-mineral. Such a record OF inforf
: alton would greatly aid in facilitaui
q successful contest against the repo
: Of the commission. Now that the
l | forts and ideas of our people for
period of about six years have be
! crystallized into a law, IL seems TO 7
that we cannot afford to leave an
: thing unfone which is necessary 10
| cure a fair and faithful classificau
I | of these lands 1t would, indeed, be
| great disappointment to all OF us
nd-that the commission appointed
classify the lands would for any re
son make such a classification
would defeat the spirit and INTENT
of the law itself"