The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1897-01-08
LANDS ARE IN DISPUTE
MINNESOTA'S ACREAGE HAS BEEN
ALMOST GIVEN AWAY.
ROckefellers and Others HIVE ~ Nh.
nOpOly of Iron Mines Claimed
= by the State.

st. Paul, Jan. 3.-The biennial report of
State Auditor Robert c. Dunn to the Min
nesota legislature was given to the press
tonight and contains some STARTLING ipuras
and recommendations drawn from a rigid
interpretation of the law and a careful
examination of the records of his office,
which includes the land department. The
general land department business shows
that grants of land to railroad companies
by congress and by the state within tho
units of the state of Minnesota, to aid in
the construction of the $500 miles of line
nave amounted to over 20, 600, 900 acres. The
total area of the state is about A, 900, 600
acres A reasonable valuation of these
railroad lands is SOB, 600, 900, or about $392,-
uoO per mile. or these lands, the companies
have received over 10000, 600 acres already,
and under the swalnp-land act from the
state they have received over 2, 1000, 900 acres
additional.
lie calls attention to the grant originally
made to The Little Falls railway, and now
owned by the Northern Pacific, consisting
of 100000 acres. 1t was given to aid in he
construction of that railroad from it's east
ern terminus to the western boundary of
the state. For uncompleted portions of
the line the lands revert to the state. The
line was only built to Morris, altogether
Sl12 miles, and the auditor holds that the
grant does not attach to the 22h miles
from there to the state line, making a diff
terence of 1870, 900 acres in the grant. AS
the company has already received 200, 600
acres, which is in excess of what they
earned, the legislature is asked to take
proper action to recover these lands,
which are valued at not less than IS per
acre.
The auditors conclusions and recon-
mendations regarding mineral lands, how
ever, are most startling. He recommends
that the legislature direct that action be
begun i'm the courts looking to the recov-
cry of lands already conveyed to the Du-
luth & Iron Range railroad, amounting to
100000 acres, and that the remaining por-
ton, 4O3, 600 acres, be declared forfeited.
These lands, conservatively valued, arc
worth $1,000, 900, being located exclusively
in st. Louis, Lake and Cook counties,
which comprise the mineral and timber
portions of the state.
He then calls attention to the consti.u-
tional provision that all state lands must
be sold ait public auction. AS the timber
land has been considered part of the real
ty, it has been similarly disposed of, and
the auditor now raises the question
whether the mineral is not also q part of
the realty, and should therefore be dis
posed of in like manner. The Rockefellers
and the Minnesota Iron Company hold 60
per cent of the mining contracts on state
lands, and these were all secured at pri-
waite sale, so that if his contention be APP
proved, there would be a general shaking
up in mineral contracts.
The land where the rich mountain iron
was located was selected in 1888 by the
then state auditor for indemnity school
lands. In 1883 the same official, apparently
through an error or oversight, executed a
REIMBURSEMENT back TO the government.
This land is valued at not less than $l2,-
600, OG0. The state auditor takes the ground
that the state still holds the title to these
lands under the original selection and tina
the relinquishment was rendered void.