The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-12
STATE ARID LAND COMMISSION
VISITS BILLINGS.
WILL CONSULT The PEOPLE
Members Desireus Of Learning Popu-
lar Wish Concerning hunt.
ley Flat Lands.

/ What may possibly 4e the first step
in the direction of making some dis
position OF the tract of land owned
by the state to the east of Billings
was taken today.
| Under the provisions OF the Carey
act the land passed into possession
OF the state, to be ultimately reclaim
ed and sold to actual settlers. Nothing
was ever done with it and ever since
| it reverted to the state it has been
| lying idle, with but little prospect OF
| it's reclamation. Recently, as the
readers of The Gazette will remember,
| several gentlemen representing
| syndicate in the state OF Washington
visited this locality and entered into
negotiations with the Northern Pa
cific company for the purchase OF
the land owned by the company. the
intention being to irrigate it and place
1t on the market. To secure full con-
troll of all the land in that section
they also entered into correspondence
with the state arid land board the
object being to, if possible, buy the
states holdings there. AS the law
is framed the state cannot sell the
land before it is irrigated. When this
fact became known negotiations, ii
any were begun, ended. Now, how
ever. there is a possibility that the
land may yet be reclaimed and made
available Tor settlement. -4
If the state so wills it has the priv
ilege OF returning the land, which,
while nominally held by the state,
is in reality only withdrawn from
entry, to the general government.
Should this be done the land would,
of course, again become a part OF
the public domain and be subject to
entry under the federal land laws.
1t is with view to looking into the
situation and to ascertain the wishes
Of the people hereabonts in this re-
gard that the members of the state
arid land commission are here today.
The commission is composed of the
state engineer. who is the chairman:
secretary of state and the public ex-
aminer. The first named, j. w. Waae,
arrived from Helena yesterday and
made an inspection of the land. The
others. George M. Havs and w. Hud-
nall, arrived this morning In speak
ing of the matter yesterday Mr.. Wade
said that the board desired to famil-
iarize itself with the situation and
as to what disposition of the land
would be likely to prove the
most acceptable to them. Should a
majority be of the belief that it would
be to the advantage of the state and
particularly this part of it to permit
the government to take back the land
and omen it for entry tits varv likely
that that wish will receive considera-
tior from the commission.
.IHdging from the remarks heard yes
terdav the assunmptio, is warranted
thet the members of the commission
will find great many in favor of
state surrender of the land and its
renersion to the government If this
were done. it was generally said the
hope would be warranted that before
long system of irrigation would be
introduced that would cause every
available acre to be taken up bv set
tiers. Those who thus EXPRESSED them
selves were of the opinion thet the
Washington company would probably
close with the railroad companv and
begin construction of ditch The
right to use wafer from tho canal
would then he sold to settlers on the
land and the entire area
would be speedily under cultivation
and be the source of revenue to that
state. whereas it is now absolutely
of no benefit to anyone. While in
the course of time. it was said,
the state might reclaim the land and
sell it, that time is now seemingly
so far distant as to make waiting for
it a good deal of fOrlOrn hope.