The Anaconda standard., 1899-03-26

earnestness of the applicants for Sc
lections that less than per cent.
of them withdrew their applications,
and this in view of the fact that appli-
cations were then on file for twice as
much land as the state had yet to Sc
lect The work Of selecting land is at
this time progressing rapidly, so rapidly
that of the full grants of 66S.720 acres
but $4,000 is now unsatisfied. In addi-
ton to this, great item is the fact that
of the 5,194,000 acres of school land,
but 100000 has yet been surveyed,
not tWo-tifths of the whole. These sur
veys the United States government Is
now pushing. AS fast as surveyed
large percentage Of the school sections
are at once leased and eventually prac-
tcally all will be leased. Taking an
average appraisal of the unsurVeyed
lands at $1.50 per acre, which is a con-
servative appraisal, the rentals which
will be derived therefrom will be in eX-
cess of 100000 per annum; this of
course is far in the nature, but it is
an easy and certain prophecy that five
years from this time, if the present
policy is pursued, the common schools
will derive an income of over 5000, 900
per annum from It's lands. 1t can be said
of the lands held in trust for the various
institutions that in 1904 they will easily
be in receipt of an income as follows:
Public buildings ......... ........$ 5000
Agricultural college. ge.......... ..... II 900
State normal school,. l............... 1000
School of Mines ................... 1000
Deaf and Dumb asylum. .......... 5000
Reform school. ................. 4,00o
University ........-..... 1o,Vuv
This is most conservative estimate
and the figures show a poor comparison
as to what the income for the several
| institutions will eventually be. How
conservative they are may be shown
by the fact that. notwithstanding the
| tremendous revenues of 1898, the first
quarter of the fiscal year of 1899 shows
a cash increase of 95 per cent. over the
| first quarter of 1898.
The present policy of the board of
land commissioners in not selling the
lands, deeming it to the best interest
of the state to hold them for rentals,
cannot be too highly commended. Sales
are only made where, owing to the
nature of the land or its situation, it is
manifestly to the best interest Of the
state to sell.
The timber belonging to the state is
another important factor in providing
funds and, at the present rate of tim
ber, an estimate that the state now
owns in standing timber monetary
value of $3.000,000 is not far amiss. The
average rate at which timber has been
sold in past years mas not exceeded
sl.5O per thousand feet, the highest rate
received being 81 per thousand and the
| lowest S12S12 per thousand. new era
in timber sales has been inaugurated,
however, as, at a sale held during the
present month, Ii 500, 900 feet were sold
1t an average rate of S4.15 per thousand.
This sale alone, for which pay
ment must be made within two years,
will net the state over s42 900. All sales
of timber are made by public auction
to the highest bidder, notice of such
auction having previously been adver
tised for four weeks in two newspapers,
one published in the capitol and one in
the county where the timber is located.
BY this method every mill and timber
man in the state is placed on an equal
footing and has an equal chance to
compete.
Montana is the most favored state in
the union as regards its great domain
| and this will be more fully realized
| from year to year for nanny genera
tions. RANDOLPH THOMPSON.