The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-04
CONGRESS GOOD
TO NORTHWEST
The Minnesota Delegation Pulled
Together With Most Satisfac-
tory Results to the State.
Summary of the Bills Passed by Con-
gress Affecting North Star
States Interests.
North and South Dakota Also Game
in for Liberal Harvests o.,
.& Plums.
From The Journal Bureau, Room As, Post Build
ing Washington. sEEEsi

From The Journal Bureau, Room 45, Post Build
ing, Washington. 1si
Washington March 4.-Legislation of
= more vital Importance to the state OF
Minnesota has been secured by the dele
cation during the two session of the fifty
seventh congress than in any preceding
decade The senators and members
worked harmoniously and were united on
all important bills and that had a great
deal to do with bringing about the good
result. The result of enactment Of two or
three bills will mean the rapid develop
ment Of the upper part of the state, as
soon as details are worked out by the
administrative officials and all the pre-
liminaries arranged.
w. The Morris Bill.
The most important bill which became
a law was the Morris bill for the amend
ment of the Nelson act, providing for the
disposition Of the Chippewa timber land
in upper Minnesota, and for the open
ing of agricultural land to settlement and
entry. Under this act, within few days.
the sales of timber on the school sections
in the Chippewa reservation and in the
four ceded townships in White Earth
reservation. will be made to the highest
bidder at the land office at Crookston. AS
soon as certain preliminaries In the way
of the ailotments of the Indians and
classification of the lands have been COM
pleted,, probably within three or four
months several hundred thousand acres
of the most fertile land in the United
States will be thrown open to settlement
and entry.
Red Lake Treaty BILL
Next in Importance came the enactment
into law of the amended Red Lake
treaty bill, providing for the opening of
eleven townships of agricultural land In
10
required to make this effective is the as
sent Of the Indians, which it is believed,
can be secured the coming summer.
Town Site Laws.
Another act passed within the last three
months Is that making town site laws ap-
plicable to eceded Indian lands in the
state. This will result in the establish
ment of towns in that part of the country,
thus aiding in the development and at
x tracing business men.
&-'s OIeomargarin Law.
OF most interest to farmers and the
dairying interests Of the state was the
passage of the oleomargarin law This
had been ON the statute books since the
last session and it's operation has been
generally successful and beneficial to the
makers of pure butter, not only in Mime
sofa, but elsewhere in the middle west:
Page Morris Judeeshlp.
-. Another bill OF interest to the State the
enactment of which resulted in the placing
Representative Page Morris of Duluth or
the federal bench, was that providing TO,
an additional United States district judge
for the district of Minnesota. This addi-
tional judge was badly needed, as the
business Of the district court, presided
over by Judge Lochren of Minneapolis
had become congested and the progress o.
litigation was tedious and wearisome
When the law becomes operative, July l
the business Of the court will move more
eXpeditiously.
Local Measures.
Coming to strictly local measures ant
the provisions Of the appropriation bills
affecting only certain districts congress
has provided literally for Minnesota
needs. In getting through this class o
legislation every member of the delegation
helped every other and this accounts II
great measure for their success. .
For Minneapolis, congress provide
s s25O0OO for the addition to the fedora
building which will be completed With
eight or ten months 1t also provided 70
the completion of the locks and dams a
Meeker island at cost of something owe
a quarter of a million dollars, as we'll
$500, 900 for the completion Of the dams a
the head waters of the Mississippi, Whic
will help maintain a navigable. depth {
water in the upper river in dry seasons
@a Smelling Improvements. ..
Fort Smelling is to be improved at a
expense Of three-quarters Of a million do
lars as the result of an appropriation i
the military bill, sundry civil bill an
separate items in other bills. It is to +
made a .arst-class post with accommoda
tions for regiment of infantry and tW
batteries of field artillery, and tentativ
provisions have been made for a squadro
Of cavalry. Authority has also been give
to purchase an $50 acre addition to tt
reservation, to be used as a target rane
for the artillery. In addition. a. $4,000
canteen building is to be erected at Smell
Ing out Of funds provided in the milital
appropriation bill this and last year.
st. PauPs PIums.
For st, Paul provision has been mac
for an expenditure Of O,0OO IN fitting I
the old federal building and preparation
have been made for an increase In tt
limit Of the cost of the new federal bull
ing amounting to $S5O,000. saltwater h
secured a $4,000 public building, Albe
Lea a $4,000 site and a 100000 buildin
Crookston a Sc, 900 site which means
new public building for the accommod
tion Of the postoffice and land office ne
year. Congress authorized the expene
ture Of 100000 for the partial completi
Of the harbor improvements at Duluth a.
Superior, which will be followed by lar
appropriations next year for carrying O
the entire project. s.s.
r. r. D. Extensions.
BY liberal provision the rural free deli
8 cry service has been extended througho
g3ta the state County services are in ope1
tion in Hennepfn, Washington, Rams
and Chisago counties and other count
5's will be covered in the same way in t
near future. ,,tE
sE In the Dakotas. . IA
North and South Dakota also Jared "
at the hands of this congress. The pa
age of the irrigation bill fathered by Sc
sa ator Hansbrough and actively suppor
by the delegations In the house from b'
states, will, when the plans are matur
benefit the semi -arid regions 1of b.
states. Bills for the opening of the DeN
Lake reservatio in, North Dakota ane
part of the Rosebud reservation in Sol
Dakota passed the senate and were :
vorably reported in%the house, and w
cnly prevented from becoming laws
cause Of the obstruction tactics Of
democrats in the closing days Of the S
sion. They will undoubtedly become la
next session. IS
The Indian schools and reservations
both states were well provided for. 81
North Dakota a new federal building \