The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-27
sEATTLE. FalDAY. sAxUAaH ~.
wuLsos AND THE LlEu LANDS.

WILSON AND THE LIEu LANDS.
s The people OF the state OF Washing
ton should understand how far their
interests have been betrayed by the
work OF Senator Wilson In the SNUG
Cling through congress. By false pre-
lenses. Of new grant 10 the Northern
Pacific Railway Company. under guiss
Of = measure to settle a controversy
with settlers on the lieu lands. This
provision which he procured inserted
in the sundry civil bin, In direct terms
grants to the Northern Pacific Railway
Company indemnity for every acre Ut
land lost within the limits Of its orig
inal grant. and In addition thereto, and
entirely as q new grant, indemnity for
every acre claimed by IT. within the
limits Of Its original Indemnity belt to
which the claims OK settlers have at
tachsd.
This grant Ia a floating one. iocatabis
on any odd numbered section. surveyed
or unsurveyed. non-minerai I'm charac-
ter and within the limits Of the FIVE
states through which the ROAD extends.
An the company has claimed" every
acre lying within its indemnity belt, or
s.%oo acres Of land for every mile Of the
road: and. as relying on decisions OF the
department, very large share of this
Indemnity land has been located By set
0ers. It will be seen that this new grant
Involves millions Of acres
Floating grants of this kind have al
ways been estimated al OF the most
valuable character. In the form Of
land scrip. they have selling price OF
considerable mere than the average
selling price of good farming land
Valentine scrip. almost Identical In It's
terms with the new grant to the North
ern Pacific. has sold for 500 an acre,
and IL auotsble today at IS per acre.
Aside from the interests of prospect
I've settlers on the public domain.
which suffer by this new grant, the
state OF Washington. in its corporate
capacity, receives a direct recuniary In
Jury. The state has received fresn the
Federal government numerous grants
Of public land. These grants can only
be located on surveyed land Until the
lands within the state are surveyed
large amounts of these grants 10 thu
state ara held In allegiance.
Under the terms OF the grant made 20
the Northern Pacific, the rad has tn.
right tn so upon the unsuryeyed lands
81 the state. in advance OF surveys and
select the choicest and NEST valuable
tracts, thus leaving To ths state and
The future settler only such tracts a.
are rejected by the company as no, be-
hag sufficiently valuable fer it 70 eater.
Considering the enormous extent ~ sae
new grant Ia the Northern Pacific, and
tsss ette'Nss ~tttsestt VI fsastN ktAesf sssfiI
Ieft INDICATED. the practical erees If
this legislation which Senator Wilson
procured. In Ia depriye the state ~ sueh
porslar Of the gift Of tbs Federal gov
eminent 10 II as Il has net reduced Il
possession. The less ~ TIE state from,
this is aiatos; inea1ealahlo III is
doubtful whether ali the Federal ap-
preparations rrccuTcd for expenditure
In this state during Senator Wilson :
term viii aggregate as faucA As Is loss
In this manner. II Is 81 raach less Tor
the state to have FOR ruhgse buildings,
support Of schools and other PURPOSES
Ter which the grants e she Federal xox
eminent "a the state were made.
II This blow a; the interests of VAS
sngiea had eeen stricken ey congress.
despite she protests - she represents.
sn'es :foru this state. imagine the poYa-
lar Indignation whieh weala have l.~@y,
excited, Yes Senator Wilson aseae Is
responsible for IL He sreSsats3 the
amendment. be deceived ere senate in.a
TIRE belief sha; Il was sEserely = measures
20 quiet litigation hasweea th., s. teers
ard the railroads. ami he has eseety
claimed II IS bis weFk before It's true
nature was exposed
Can a raAn Who ~lll &slgsserate tets sae.
rsrice the interests 20 the state aa,. -
the seop'e q the state. &c shssse - ) prs-