The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-10-27
Total So, 1893, 613. 4s

Mr.. Ankeny makes a point that the
school lands are sold at too low a figure.
and that the minimum price should be
raised to SIS per acre. Mr.. Ankeny has re-
sided In Minnesota a great many years,
and yet 1t has taken him until this year of
our Lord CA. D. 1899 to discover that
school lands are being sold at too low
ngure. Why did he not bring this matter
to the attention Of the demo-pop legisla-
ture of 1891? He missed a golden opportu-
nifty to make capital for his party, And
such capital! What a startling discovery
to make after the school lands in the gar
den spots of the state have been disposed
OF at an average price of $6 an acre, now
to fix the minimum price of school lands
In northern Minnesota at SIS per acre! Mr.,
Ankeny must owe the northern part Of the
state a deadly grudge. Why every sane
man knows or ought to know that wild
land In northern Minnesota will not be
worth $25 per acre during the next CEN
fury. A large amount Of the land cannot
De disposed of at the minimum price Of IS
per acre. If there is a good piece of land
worth $25 an acre or more, it will bring the
price, but arbitrarily to fix the minimum
price OF state land at $25 per acre would
virtually prohibit the sale of state lands in
northern Minnesota for the next two gen.
erations. I would advise Mr.. Ankeny not
| TO make that proposition a party issue.
L. e., II he wants his party to get manv
votes In northern Minnesota. AS a bust
ness proposition Mr.. Ankeny's $25, per acre
| scheme Is absurd. I hold it Is better for
the state to dispose Of Reasonable amount
Of Its lands every year at reasonable
prices, thus settling up the townships and
counties, than it is to hold the land for
nlgher prices. Remember, the state sells
Its land on forty years time, and only re-
cures 10 per cent Of the purchase money
n f1o 1,r
at o per cent per annum. Now, # party
puys a piece of school land for SIS an acre.
ne virtually pays the state SIS per acre at
the end of forty years. Besides that, he
mas been paying taxes on the land all
THESE years, helping to build roads
or!oges, schoolhouses, etc. But, laying
| ASIDE everything else, it would be a gross
injustice to the northern part Of the state
to enact law at this late day which
would prevent the growth and develop
ment OF that section Of the state, espe-
c1ally after southern and central Minne-
| sofa the garden spots Of the state, have
| mad all the advanta ges of cheap state land
one word more about the prices OBJ
tanned: could quote from the land reports
OF the Great Northern and Northern Pa.
CHIC hallway companies, and, in fact, ev-
cry railroad corporation in this state, and
snow that the state has obtained better
prices for Its land that any of these corpo-
rat1ons. In this connection let me submit
| the Following letter from Hopewell Clark,
land commissioner of the St. Paul & Du-
luth road:
r, st; Paul, Mimi, Sept. %. 1s9s-Hon. R.
OF prices received for state school lands
as against railroad and other lands in the
would say that wherever I have had e oc,
casion to compare prices, the State has re-
for 1s anas tRRs sE Ss
company con has received, and this company
m mos rf fes tS an aXsrage Of
y1dual owners. who have wild lands for sa ie
IN me hev same nfta given Haat territory
at which state school lands are sold in this
state when there is so much land of the
sogg at pces d% 9 sale that
ts and a Td@ peh tr as the state receives
Land Commissioner st. Paul & Daiuth
| Now, I submit. If the state has souan-
dered its school lands, railroad corpora
tons and private owners Of land In this
| state have done even worse than the
state, and be it remembered that the fig
ures given by the railroad companies are
Tor their best lands and not their poorest,
and the figures for state lands are for
lands that have been offered for sale, not
at the request Of the purchasers but at the
discretion of the state auditor. In other
words, the purchaser Of railroad land Sc
lects the lands he wants and the pur-
chaser Of state lands Is obliged to select
from the lands the state auditor offers for
sale. If this state has squandered its
school lands, will Mr.. Ankeny point out
some other state that has done half az
we'll with its school lands. In his letter
he refers to North and South Dakota, but
| these states are SO young and so little
land has been disposed Of, that no com
parison Is possible. But If comparison il
desired, I might draw attention to the
fact that I have disposed Of state lands
at higher prices than Mr.. Ankeny quotes
North Dakota lands; and venture tho
assertion, that while some tracts in North
Dakota may bring $50 per acre, there are
thousands Of tracts that will never bring
IS, at least not for great many years to
come I repeat, on the whole, the school
and university lands of Minnesota have
been well taken care Of, and the results
amply Justify the assertion. And, In con-
clusion, I would advise Mr.. Ankeny that
he had better seek some other state issue
than the issue Of s5 an acre for wild
school lands in northern Minnesota.
That Great Northern Deed $3.50.
One of the planks in the platform Of th>
populists in their last state convention
reads as follows: