The morning times., 1897-01-05
MINNESOTA LANDS.

st. Pau. MINI, Jan 4.-state Auditor
Dunn, in his biennial report TO the State
Legislature, which was made public last
night, gives some sensational figures and
rec commendatIons, drawn from a rigid IN
terprCtat.on of the laws. lie says the land
department. business, which is controlled
10y his office, shows that the grants OF land
TO railroad companies by Congress and
by the State within the limits of the State
of Minnesota 10 aid in the construction Of
the 3,2GC miles of line have amounted to
20, 100000 acres The total area Of the
State is al out 46, 600 600 acres a rca-
sonable valuation of these railroad lands
is S1G3. 100000, or about S52 2OC per
mile. OF these lands the companies nave
already received over 1O,0C0,OtO acres
and under the swamp act, from the STATE.
they have received over 3,CC0 zoe aGdI-
t!Onal.
Particular attention is called to the grant
originally made to the Little Fails Rail-
way and now owned by the Northern Pa
cific. 1t consists OF 800. goo acres, and
was given to aid in the construction Of
that railroad from its eastern terminus 10
the western boundary Of the State. For
uncompleted portions OF the line the land
should revert to the State. The line has
built altogether sixty-seven miles, and the
auditor holds that the grant does not at
tach to the twenty-five miles from that
TO the state line, making a difference OF
10000 acres IN the grant. As the com
pany has already received 100000 acres.
which is in excess OF what it earned, the
legislature is asked to take proper action
| to recover these lands, which are valued as
not less than S5 per acre.
In regard to the mineral lands. the audi
| tor recommends that the legislature direct
/ that action be begun in the courts looking
| tothe recovery of theIan,Is already conveyed
| to the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad
located in Cook, st. Louis and Lake coun-
ties, amounting to 100000 acres, and that
! the remaining portion, 100000 acres. be
I declared forfeited These lands, conserv-
| ativeIy valued, are worth $4,000 900 and
| conn rise the mineral and timber portions
I of the state lie then calls attention TO
| the constitutional provisions shat all state
! lands must be sold at public auction.
| As the timber has been considered pars
| of the realty, it has been similarly dis
/ posed Of, and the State auditor now
| raises the question whether the mineral
is not also part Cf the realty, and shoIld,
therefore, be disposed OF in Ike manner.
/ The RoCkefelcrs and the Minnesota Iron
| Company hold so per cent Of the nIiniHg
/ contracts on State lands iucIudinr the
| famous Oliver mine, with its great Gre
/ deposits, and these We're all secured as
| private sale, so that if his contention be
| approved there would be a general shaking
! up in mineral contracts
| The land where the ricn mountain iron
mine is located WAS selected in 1883, by
| the then State auditors for indemnity
school land. In 1855 the same official, ap-
parentIy through an error, or oversight,
executed j relinquishment back to the
government. This land is valued at Lot
| less than ST., 100000. State Auditor Dunn
takes the ground that possibly the State
still holds title to these lands under the
original selection, and that the relinquish-
ment was null and void, because The
auditor had no power TO execute such re-
linquishment, that power remaining with
| the governor.