The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-12-14
STATE LAND OFFICE
A Summary Of the Iusn,ss During
the Fiscal Year Just Ended.
REPORT OF THE REGISTER
Appraisement of Lands In the Sew
eral Counties-In Regard to
the Butte School
Of Mines,
srr.lnl nI.nalch 10 lhe sL.ndarL

Htt' ih1u doubled. The receipts of the
b. sisters Office were not ~ large dIrinE
no, fiscal yoar that ended Nov "a last ts
the previous year. bur the decrease was
dur ~ the unnatural dcpr, ssion In gsnrr-
al hus.n'ss. which allowed fewer sal,s 10
be- made than formerly state Land Reg
t'tcr :, \ Swiggctt looks Tor Increased
sales during the coming year, however.
IN his rrpurt Just ulca with Governor
RiCkards he says the business OF the reg
isier's 0ihCc promises 10 continue to In
crease rapidly In the years To come Tho
number OF annual permits aud nve-yeaF
leases has more than doubled within the
past two years.
When Kegists Swiggrttc first took
charge uf the office. Nhich was created
by the list legislature. there was on the
books ~ the land department OF the state
record uf 81 certificates leases and per
mlts, covering ~. go acres in the office
are now 67l certificates leases and per-
niils covering lsg $50 acres, In the Once
Tn" public school system OF the state
has Tor It's support magnificent area OF
land. which In time will amply sustain
. H. SECTIONS ~ and ~ uf each township
/ have hvru set apart for the MS. OF the
/ rohltr schools. When all the lands in the
STATE have br'n Surveyed there will he To
the credit Of the school fund more than
I ltNc million acres In addition 10 this. con
/ gr's has granted to thu state 6S.C .CNu acres
oi landH lu various districts devoted 10 the
n'alut'n 'nlrcr NJ state insttuiions. About
th per crnt ot the grants have been Sc
lcctcd, hut only u small part OF them
have bocu sold or leased 50 that tine In
come from that sourc" IL small compared
10 what u VIII he at M yory distant day
in thu future
Aftrr setting ou; the number Of acres
th" various Institutions OF Montana have
i"r their sunport, Register Sw'ggstte In
/ Gis report snSs,
/ 1t will u" seen. that the state lands
alone In Montana, II In a compact body.
would mako an area OF about lsn sluurr
/ miles, or NOR Than thc combined AREA OF
| Connecticut, Delaware. Rhode Island and
/ the nistric, of Columbia. In no other
state Of thu union has the great cause Of
res. 4pusitc>~ ~ducatlon been moro magnln-
D'ntly provided for. and the importance
Of lh" trust conlided to those WHOSE duty
| II Il tu clr' fuy th"sc great irscrcsts can
/ not d, uN'ic,llmatOd
The minimum pric, at which these
lni ~ ran BE- sold II si0 per acre. and tn,
rriarlrnl ~ M, funds arising from the
sal" VI sections 10 and % must ever re-
main permanent trust fund for the sup
port Of trr public schools OF the state. pf
VA" A,l" spctl0us that viii ultimately be
known as state lands something over
500 s'rtlons have already been surveyed.
ard with these only the state can as vet
de nj. Ahout ~ OF these surveyed sections
ol state lands have already been ap-
praised ana advertised for sale and lease
These coinprls" lands In the counties OF
MlssoJltr tnllatln. Lewis and Clarke
b Nrlgh'r, Jefferson. RaNalli Cascade anu
/ tlaih'Hd, tn" state land agent has lust
completed the appraisemrnt of stats
hnds In Madison county and part OF Bea-
'crhcod county. but has not yet reported
10 this office"
III, register reports the condition of
each grant. concerning that OF ia. school
pi Mines which Is OF especial interest to
w'siHldris, b" reports as follows.
Total grant 30 the School OF Nine.
l",Nb nrrvS totai number Of acres "a
lC'trd, 5,Hg balance yet to be- selected
lliN "rlcCtlons patented To the state.
n.l-G -, srl'ctlons waiting approval AZ
MhsninstnnI G'f6. 81, total number ap-
praised l.". appraised value. $500"
tcuticu'ng b" says; THE appraised se-
l''tlons b"lourlns To the school OF Mines
'' Butte at" about equally divided b.
tween Madison and Flathcad counties ara
.
. lh' Madison county selections are ap-
praised boil not reported on. Thty will
p'rhau-, afcrlg" about y per acre Tie
tlbth,1d county selections 10 this FUND
'IEh o. "puri!sc at from ylp to Sl2 per
acre. However This Is ouly an estimate
based ON aIpnlsonouts already made In
lh' y" l"'allti's Tn" t.2Sp acres appraised
irclud,s ON, section near the city OF
hnz"m'n. luuraissd at So Der acre hut
th" state land agent rcpor,s this ap-
ptais"w'nt far too high"
I'asrs tui permits involving gs an
ocrrs Of lnd were issued by the ONCE
duriug The year From them rs rentals
th"r" Is dur annually sg.g,s -. Conceruing
[ rUiuut 'h, S.sttr in part says Near
~ All th" permits issued cover lands IN
untirs IN the northern and eastern part
"i the state, which may not a' appraised
tof '',"ryl Year,, They are bands most
ui which have been occupied aud used
heretofore without any return OF rent 10
th' state AZ stated In my last annual
report ! have put forth rypry effort 10
l'arn "t parties occupying those lands
without p'rwt and TO compel them to
inh" nnnuAi prints and pay rCut The
r,ut. ts IN the case OF leases IS based ON
per cent ot the estimated valuation
hud ] haV" mad" u "A rule OF the office u
. 'f'tihNi' lI' minimum Valuation ot graz
ing Lands 20 S.2j per acre that being tho
government rate Most OF TN prints COW
- 'utirr sections. and ; per cent of the
ahov" rstmnt'd valuation makes the
minimum rental for a section $40"
Register Swlggctt emphasizes the ne
orssifE oi pushing the work II appraisc-
u'pt 1s RAPIDLY AS possible and r,com-
fn'uts that The state land agent be given
ai assistant. During the fiscal year Reg
. isfrr SWisgrtt received SN. ~ g divided
uu-oNg tns following funds. Permanent
school faui Nnli.iS; school funl income.
i--.r7 -. university fund income. S.ii5.t5
cSritol building fund. si.77l %: school OF
u'iu's fund, income 81: state normal
S,l'ol tTud. income. sSi6. total. 81 lN5.-3.
Last January the tirst opporiiOnment OF
tiromc school fund was made II amount
80 10 s5L'-7.oo and WAS divided among
thu srlools ut tn" state Reg SIer Swig-
eUtt HI}s hts To the taxpayers OF the
st1t" this will serve as AN sncourJs,1s
triiJtlOu ~ what the annual apportion-
u Pc wi this fnnt will he after the school
NfaS are an surveyed and appraised and
p4t "u Oh, market for sale and lease. IL
VIII ,rThIuiy uft the burden Of school
-uUruft frIm the ttNVayvrs ln a large
r.a-Hl' REGISTER SWiggett IA hts work
.l r,.u ab'y assisted by Harry Cannon.