Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-12-03
DISPOSAL OF STATE LANDS.
State Land Register Moore Announces
the Policy of His Department.
Helena Herald.D

lHelena Herald.)
State Land Register Thomas ID.
Long said today that the state land
Office had not decided to discontinue
leasing lands. as reported in a morn
ing paper. and that it mad never on
sidered such a policy. For a time the
board will not sell grant lands. If
the coming legislative assembly can
devise some way in which the perm
anent funds OF the state may be in
vested. the board will probably resume
selling state lands. but it will sell no
more lands until the question has at
least been considered by the legisla-
ture.
The subject of disseminating the
leasing Of state lands, said Register
Long today. has never been thought
of and would not be unless the state
desired to quit raising revenue for
the various state institutions and the
common schools, which, of course, is
absurd. At the last meeting of the
BOARD of land commissioners the board
did reject several offers TO purchase
land, one reason being that the prices
were not considered sufficient and
another was that the board thought
il unwise to further push the selling
of land until the legislature enacted
laws that would enable the board to
invest the money that is now lying
idle in the permanent funds. If 1t
d~eyelopes that it is impossible to find
investments for the money in the
permanent funds it may furnish a
sufficient reason for disseminating the
policy of selling land, which has been
in force for tae past eighteen months.
But such action has not yet been TAX,
en- by the board, nor has it been con-
-sidered other than as stated above.
But whatever action may be taken as
to selling state land 1t can have no
affect whatever upon the continuance
OF the policy of leasing land. Siren
uaus efforts have been made by this
administration to lease every acre
possible and this policy will be con
tinued and the greatest possible rev
enu0 from leases will be secured. We
want every person in the state who
desires to lease state land to know
that he can lease it by writing to the
state land office.
THE proceeds OF the sale of school
lands goes into the permanent schoo
fund and only the interest thereon
can be used for the support OF the
common schools. but the proceeds
from the leases is divided each year
among the counties in proportion tC
the number OF school children in each
This year the receipts from leases or
school land will amount approximate
ly to 100000. Last year the receipts
from leases on school land gave an
apportionment of S2.3j to each child
of school age in the state. Besides
this the receipts from leases on lanC
belonging to the various state insti
tutions went a long way toward pay
ing the interest on the bonded III
d~ebtedness. and in some cases pait
the interest and furnished some sup
port besides. The proceeds from
leases Is not invested. but used eacl
wear. consequently the more none!
received from leases each year tn,
better off are the common school
and state institutions. If the polio.
of leasing lands was discontinue
every state institution would defaul
in the payment OF interest on it
bonds and hundreds of school dis
trlcts would be unable to maintain
their common schools. Such a polio
was never dreamed of by the stat
land officials. On the contrary W
would like to have the valuable hel
o. the newspapers in making 1t know.
that every acre of grazing and ayr
culture land owned by the state !
for lease"