Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-01-03

plenty ~ erid"Dcc In t;is Oregon Ian,
ode. cni tic Federal Land oifice
,to1, that L hes been done repeated!
IL the name " the state OF Oregon,
MN informed by an ex-register Of al
United States Land Office that on
base served for five selections,
II Is fooling with words TO say that
such departures from known regula-
tlons and laws, and ordinary business
procedure are the result of ignorance
there must have been q reckless dis
regard Of the rights Of individuals
and Of the general welfare, and II
does not require more than common
se;l,e to see how and why such aber-
ration Of government can come about.
Human rapacity Is ever on the
alert and all that ia needed is an OPP
portunity.
Such an opportunity was given
when the legislature changed the
mode Of selecting lieu lands in the
year OF 1887. Before that the gov
ernor or his agents selected them;
afterwards the selecting of the lieu
as well as the base, was turned over
to the purchaser. He must state in
his application the 10th or 36th sec
tions or fractional townships in lieu
Of which the land is to be taken, and
the land commissioners shall there
upon select the said land In the proper
land Office, In the manner prescribed
by the laws Of the United States, etc.
But this requirement, as respects
the purchaser, is wholly impracticable
as no one but person familiar with
the land business and having access to
the records and maps of state land Office
could know as TO what school sections
had been lost TO the state by reason
OF the operation OF federal laws, and
TO what extent the state had availed
itself OF the privilege OF taking other
lands instead, or necessity the appli- |
cant who desired 60 purchase lieu
land, must resort to the state land !
office for information as TO the base |
upon which to predicate his applica-
tion, but according to the letter OF the
law the clerk OF that Office was not re-
quired to furnish IL. The law did not
make II the duty Of any officer OF the
state, and the requirements of the
statute, In that particular, were fully
met when the applicant had deslgnat-
ed the base Of which the land is to be
taken In lieu, The state board could
have made IL the duty al It's clerk to
give all needed information, but IL did
not, and sO thas part OF the state land
business became an unofficial, outside
natter, which speedily passed into ,
he care and keeping OF lieu land at
oTneys, who found ways and means ,
4 using the state land office, and sup. ,
lying bases TO applicants according :
o the railroad rule, Of charging all =
he tratiic would bear.
One dollar and quarter per acre .
'as paid TO the state, and the remain =
er went 20 the attorneys, who took =
he lions share, sometimes amounting u
o twice as much as the state received, a
That slch business could continue =
ny length OF time without being pro- y
Itc OF abuses, is incredible to men of |,
Experience, who know the growing ma u
nre OF human greed. Just think OF =
/! for every quarter section OF land .
old, the base hunters would or could n
ocket s40O, a nice yearly income for n n
uarter section farmer, working every -
ay In the year, There Is nothing =
Isked In saying that such an oppor- -
unity would be pushed to the utmost; " y
ld Il was ~ ~
IL was said by the attorneys that &
ases were scarce, probable truth, as A
he state had been selecting lands for "
'rty years, In place OF school sections I,
lken by donation, homestead and .,
claims, and also for de- I
ciencies in townships and those arls- n
X from mining claims, but all this ~
MY helped them 10 get a corner ON II
lses and raise the price OF lieu lands. I
The allotment Of school sections s,
ithin reservations, Ia the Indians, 1,
eed goodly number OF bases and N
Fought a veritable bonanza. Fortunes d
ere made our of these alone, as they "
rived to market the fine timber lands s
the coast, and pass them into the 20
lnds OF Eastern speculators, n
The Indian bases, however, were Jc
on exhausted, and base hunting be- VI
me the rage. To Use a simile from Pl
d. Sellers, there were thousands n Ia
u millions In IL. v
The man, who by cruising, could Il,
scover a quarter section base, or by m
nj OF ingenuity could manufacture Ne
e that would pass the state office on
Is certain Of a handsome reward Ca
I'd unfortunately for the purchasers Al
lieu lands, and equally SO for the Gl
lIe' almost anything could pass. NJ
Rough rocky, unsold aud unstable w,
iooi sections In the arid regions q.