The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-19

sion of range lands in sufficient quanti-
ties. Within the Northern Pacific grant
they can lease the odd numbered sec
tons, but the government viii not per-
nit the vacant government land to be
fenced, so the cattlemen cannot fence
in large enough tracts. If the state
were to select the vacant even num-
hered sections within the grant. or TO
select large tracts of good grazing land
outside the grant, 1t could lease To
stockmen in tracts of 10 and 20 sections
at u handsome rental. These lands are
viii never be filed en by settlers. for
they are not valuable enough.
The state has not selections enough
left, however. to select very much OF
this character Of land. Applications
aggregatsng more than the state has
yet to select have come into the office
within the past three or four months
II the state could select ! 1000 900 acres
of good grazing land. every acre of it
could be rented 10 stockmen within a
year at an annual rental of not less
than cents per acre. This would
mean a revenue of $40 900 per annum.
Why cannot a grant of this size be
secured from the United States and
have ii apportioned to the different
state institutions. Government statis-
tics show that there are over $1,000, 900
acres of vacant surveyed land in the
state, ana the lIlltu EsidlHS tOulu We'll
afford TO turn over 900, 900 acres of this
land to the state. The state institu-
tions all need additional grants of lands
that would be at once available for
renting. Our delegation in congress
ought 10 also ask for d grant of at least
90. 600 acres for the establishment of a
miners hospital and home. The min
ers prospectors and smelter men of the
state are entitled to an institution of
this kind.
The present register of the state land
office is very much in favor of the pas
sage of the bill introduced by Senator
Morgan. granting all the vacant arid
lands of the West to the states in which
they are located; and a correspondence
with the land departments of the West
ern states has elected many favorable
replies. Ii seems doubtful. however. Ii
this legislation can be secured at this
time: and II would seem to me t. be
wiser policy to make more modest de-
mands.
The state land department has done a
great work in the past Year. Ten
counties have been appraised. and
eight counties offered for sale and
lease over 500 lease contracts have
ings Of surveyed townships have been
made ana now the office files of all the
surveyed townships af the state are
complete. Next year VIII see the first
appraisement of the whole state COM
pleted. and the office viii then be in
possession of a complete record Of every
piece or state land. The work of this
year viii again double the business Of
The office. and the entire landed inter-
ests Of the state Will then be within
the grasp Of the department.
The officers in charge are keeniy alive
10 the interests, responsibilities and
magnitude Of the trust imposed upon
them. The department, too long ar the
foot Of the list Of state departments. has
taken its place at the head of the list
as becomes the guardian and custodian
/ Of trusts ard interests ample to consti-
tufe a kingdom.
HARRY CANNON,
Helena. Dec. u. 1885,