The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-05-15
ITO SELL LANDS |INSURRECTIoN bold H0LO-uP
P NOT LEASE EN- IN hawaii At BEAR CREEK
in Home Rulers Masked Men Visit Farm
toKa Deleehon Of Islands, House Night
3D|SEIL LANDS COT
CmhykA Anxious to Have of tn Territory SM Myh
SdaT mTwhx
State Board in Session Listens
to Kalispell Delegation
SELL OR LEASE LANDS
The Question Before the Board. F1athead
County is Anxious to Have
Them Sold.

The committee appointed by the cit
liens of Flathead county to wait upon
the state board of land commissioners
and urge them to offer for sale all the
state land in that county appeared be-
fore the board this afternoon, present
ed petition signed by many citizens
of the county asking the board to
make the concession and addressed
the board upon the benefits that would
accrue to both the state and the coun-
ty. The board discussed the situation
in all it's phases with the committee,
asking many questions. Senator Paris
Gibson also addressed the board upon
the matter The state board of land
commissioners met this afternoon at
two o'clock in the Office of Register
Long. All of the members of the
board were present. After disposing
of a few routine matters the board
heard the Flathead committee, which
consisted Of ]. H. Edwards, secretary
of the Kalispell townsite company,
w. H. Griffin, mayor of Kalispell and
chairman of the board of county COM
missioners of Flathead county and Ex-
Representative A. l.. Jaqueth, sur
vryor who is familiar with the loca-
tion of the state land.
Every member Of the committee ad-
dressed the board. The members of
the board took deep interest in the
remarks of the members of the COM
mittee and asked many questions.
Mr.. Edwards presented the petition
of the Flathead county citizens ask
ing the board to sell the lands. Mr..
Edwards addressed the board in sup
port of the petition. He was armed
with figures and statistics that show
ed he has given the matter no small
amount of study. He said that at
present the state had about 1920 acres
| of agricultural land in the county un-
der lease from which it was receiving
| an annual rental of about $2,86O. If
this land were sold and the proceeds
invested in four per cent bonds the
state would receive more benefit. He
anticipated that nearly all of this land
would sell for more than the mini
mum price of $40 per acre, fixed by
law. The land would be bought by
small settlers who would take not to
exceed 100 acres and many of them
less for a farm and become perma-
nent settlers in the community.
He said the state owned about 140,-
900 acres of timber land IN the coun-
ty. He believed that two-thirds of this
is available for agricultural purposes
and could be sold for $40 per acre o"
more. Those who bought the land
timber to pay for the cost of clearing.
If the state sold the timber from
the land it would be impossible to sell
the land because of the dense under.
growth of brush that springs up on
cleared land. Much of the timbered
land belonging to the state lies along
the banks of streams, especially the
Saltwater, making it an easy matter
to dispose of the timber. Mr.. Ed
wards pointed how if the land of the
county would become settled up there
would be an increase in the taxable
wealt h and the state would oe bene
fitted. The proceeds from the sale
of the timber lands invested in bonds
would bring the state nice revenue
A. L. Jacqueth told the board of the
danger that is always imminent from
forest fires in the dry timber. The
state of Minnesota tired of spending
so much money watching it's timbel
land had instructed the state audito
to offer it for sale.
Mayor Griffin followed and urge,
the board to sell the lands that tn
county might derive some benefit a.
we'll as the state. He said that b,
reason of these lands lying idle man
> of the country schools located in dis
tricts containing much state land
had but two or three months of schoo
a year. If the land were sold to actua
settlers there would be an increas
in the school revenues and in tn
c%o %ovoC