Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-01
Should Be Additional Grants
For Public Institutions,
OPINION OF AGENT NELL
Believes the Public School and Other
Grants Should be
Doubled.

~S~SN AA AAoSA~
the state ought to have more lands from
the public domain and advocates asking
the United States for an additional land
grant for the benefit of the state insti-
~tutions, stating that the grants for some
Of the public institutions are entirely in
adequate for the purposes for which they
we're intended, says the Great Falls
Leader.
If the present system OF selecting and
leasing state lands is to be continued it
is probable that Mr.. Neill will find con-
siderable opposition to asking the gov
eminent for any more and that will
be leased to big outfits n which will be
kept for the large cattle n sheep conn
panies to the exclusion of actual settlers.
The state system OF leasing school lands
is only a little less ubiquitous han the
Foster land bill lately introduced into
congress. II the advice Of Hon. Paris
Gibson of this city had been followed,
when the educational institutions Of the
state were located, and the institutions
located i'm one place, the funds for their
support would mot have been inadequate.
but we are reaping the folly Of the first
legislators OF the state, who traded OF
the various institutions in the interest of
the capital fight.
what this state needs" says Mr.. NeNl.
lis another grant OF lands for the public
schools. The federal government has
given the schools of the state two Sec
lions in each township, or 1-18 of the sur
veyed area of the state. This is indeed a
rich heritage n that lands could GER
tainGly not be put to better use, but II two
sections proves a good thing for our pub
lie schools a greater area would increase
proportionally the benefits. Montana was
less fortunate in this respect than Utah,
which was granted section two, 81, 16
and Sc in ach township of the state.
One-ninth Of the entire area OF Utah Is
devoted to the maintenance of it's public
schools. Montana should have as much
II believe our representative in congress
should be urged to undertake., at least,
to secure US this additional grant. Now
is the time it should be. done. if ever.
for there is a demand for the lands and
it, is possible to make selections now
when it might not be later on.
''The government a granted the state
lieu ands in place of those sections on
Indian and military reservations that
would otherwise ave belonged to the
grant, and that provision is a wise ONE.
It gives the states many thousands of
acres which it may locate wherever there
are unoccupied public lands, and by this
MEANS the state is enabled to secure
many thousands of acres that would 9th
erWlSe De lOSI lC IL. Inc landS are not
selected unless we know they can be
leased without delay, SO hat they be-
come at once revenue producers and so
help to maintain the schools.
"There is no doubt now that the
grants for some of the public institutions
are entirely inadequate for the purposes
for which they were intended. The state
normal school, the deaf and dumb school
and the state reform school were each
granted so, 900 acres. These grants should
be increased to 100, 900 acres, for they
cannot possibly be maintained upon the
revenues from the lands belonging to
their limited grants now. There is MO
reason why congress hOuld not grant
additional areas to these institutions, and
I believe it would do so If the need Of it
were placed before 1t properly by our rep
resentHtives.
one by increasing the grants Of those in
situations or by doubling the public
school grant. The only lands it is possi-
BILE for the state to select now are high
bench grazing lands. practically all OF
the farming lands in the valleys having
been taken up by settlers long ago. All
Of these institutions are a burden upon
the state and by increasing their land
grants their revenues are increased and
the amount necessary to be raised by
taxation decreased. The selection OF
lands by the state by no means retard
their development, but materially for
wards 1t. Stockn1en in a great many i'm
stances are glad to lease lands from the
state they previously used for nothing as
they then get their exclusive use. AS T
said, farming lands are not obtainable.
and settlers in any event would be COM
PEELED to look elsewhere for lands of that
description. There are plenty of farm
ing lands that may be purchased. per-
haps, but the state does not hope To add
materially to its holdings CT that class Of
lands at this late day. There was .
time when selections might have been
made, but that has passed"