The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-06-21
VALUABLE STATE LANDS
Large Amount Collected From a
Number of Leasers.
APPRAlSlNG THE ACREAGE
The Land Cffice Is One OF Montana's
Most Important Departments Re-
suits OF Work in the Field
During the Past Week.

Special Dispatch Ia the standard.
Helena. June 2O-state Land Regis
Ter Moore collected $3.50 last week,
principally from persons leasing state
lands, That was the greatest amount
ever collected In one week In the hts
tory of the state land department. TN
der the direction OF the state board ~
land commissioners. Register Moore Is
requiring prompt payments from all
persons occupying state lands, So far
AS possible. There were many delin-
quents last year and the year before,
principally among the farmers 1T Fiat
head county, hut that was because uf
poor crops In SOME sections, and low
prices of grain and all farm products.
IL ls believed there will he a cOmpara
lively small number Of delinduents this
year.
The land authorities are negIectinI
no opportunity Ia compel persons In pos
session of state lands To pay rent tu the
state. In the past and at the present
time, there are In all parts uf the state
settlers ~ occupying state lands who
have no right Ia do so. In many in
stances some OF the best land owned
by the state Is ~ occupied and has been
FOR years. Wherever such cases are
heard of now. the persons occupying
the lands are compelled To either va
cate the land or procure lease from
the state. II VI happens that the lands
~ occupied have not been appraised az
Is often the case, the board requires the
settler To apply for temporary permit,
The amount of money Ia be paid on
leased land is determined by the ap-
praised value, but II no value has been
.tHt.lsIIxs h.. Ia. nd h., .LAuf
> per cent, OF the approximate value Is
charged as rent In this way. the
state board Of land commissioners eN
pects Ia increase the revenue of the
state very materially during the year.
As fast as possible the lands Of the
state VIII be appraised and disposed of,
su that they may bring In constant
revenue. IL will he many years before
the state Is able Ia sell much land, un-
less an amendment To the constitution
Is made, for as the constitution now ls
the state cannot sell any of Sta school
lands or lands granted institutions by
the federal government for less than
$40 an acre To I've sure. a few thousand
acres are sold every year but the
amount Is trif,iug compared with the
vast tracts OF land AT the states dis
posal
INV F'ai' FAfa'A w if''iNf hf
possible revenue from It's lands until
they have heen surveyed. but that work
alone cannot possibly he accomplished
for many years. or the public school
lands alone In Montana, there are more
than 5,OOOO0O acres, uf which only
| 800. .0o0 acres have been surveyed
only 30l $50 acres NJ school lands have
been appraised. Besides the school
lands. the state has ar viii have, when
they are selected, 36s. 900 acres OF land
from the general government In special
grants for the support Of various pub
lie and educational institutions. or
these grants only one-half has been Sc
lected. and a small fraction appraised
II viii he seen that AN enormous
amount of work Is In store for the state
land office and from the figures quoted
some little realization may be had of
the states immense land interests that
will. In a few years, bring In an enor-
nous income for the use OF the several
educational institutions dependent upon
them.
II Is the policy of the board Of land
commissioners To appraise as much Of
the state LANDS as possible, for In It's
unappraiscd state the lands cannot he
well controlled by the board and the
revenue from II must necessarily be
small and uncertain. In the past, the
work of appraising the lands has pro-
gTessed very slowly. The board OF land
commissioners ever since the state was
organized has been handicapped by a
lack of funds. The last legislature.
realizing to some extent the Importance
OF the state land Office. was more lib
eral with that department than for
mer legislatures had been. The state
land agent was allowed three deputies
and these men. with Agent James NJ.
Page himself, have been in the field
! two months appraislng state lands. Mr..
| Page has almost completed the APP
pralssmsnt In Beaverhead county,
/ while one of his deputies IL In Flat
head county, another In Park county
and another In Fergus. all engaged IN
| the same line uf work. Since the WORK
| was commenced. two months ago. near
z ly 5000 acres uf state lands In ,ialla-
tin county have been rcappraised,
As fast as the lands are appraised
they will bp put ON tn" market for sale.
Those that ar, not sold VIII he offered
for lease For that reason II Is highly
important for the state Ia appralse all
lis surveyed and patented lands as
snon as possible. Altogether the state
land ofiic, Is one of the most important
dcpartments of the state.