The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-12-16
HOMESTEAD STATE LANDS.
A Measure of Vast Benefit to the
Settlement of the State.
Legislator Cole Proposes the Bill
to Make the Change.

A change in the laws relating to
the selling of state lands is proposed
by A. L. Cole, representative elect
from the SIND district which if car
ried out will mean much towards the
settlement of northern Minnesota.
He proposes to do away with certain
abuses of state land sales and putting
the lands on the market to actual
settlers only, making the sales only
in small tracts. At present lands are
sold at auction and large tracts are
gobbled up by big concerns who later
sell it to settlers at enormous profits.
Mr., Cole has issued an open letter
on the subject which he sends to the
papers and in which he gives his
reasons for the new measure and in
vites letters from the people express
ing opinions in the subject. He says:
TO THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN MINNIE
sofa:
During the past few years, Wiscon-
sin and other states south of us have
maintained boards of immigration,
vigorously at work attracting settlers
within their respective borders. And
Manitoba has had such board for
several years that has done most sue
cessful work. And at the present
time there is small army of men at
railroad terminals, and most especial
lY in ST. Paul that are doing all that
it possible can to direct the line of
Immigration from our state to the
] province of Manitoba. Thousands of
settlers who without this eXtraordin-
AIRY effort would have been residents
of Minnesota, have detected to that
province, therefore the state is just
so much the loser.
| For purpose of self-defense. and in
order that we may keep pace with
our sister states and Manitoba we
must have an immigration hoard. An
i effort was made at the last session of
the legislature to create such. The
proposition was favored by nearly
every representative from the north
ern part of the state, yet in spite of
this influence it was finally defeated
when bill creating a board of i'm
migration was up for its passage.
Such a defeat was most disastrous
blow to the northern part Of the
state. Had the bill become a law,
the many thousands of settlers that
were induced to locate in Manitoba
would doubtless have found homes in
our own state.
/ When the bill was defeated two
years ago, the time was ripe for such
an immigration board, and they are
nearly as propitious at the present.
Realizing the Importance Of securing
additional settlers for our immense
tracts of unoccupied lands a similar
.. bill will be introduced at the early
days Of the ensuing session with bet
ter chances of success than two years
ago. If the measure becomes law
the northern part Of the state will
necessarily be largely benefited by
added settlers through this immigrat.
] ion board.
Another question which seems TIC
demand very serious consideration
] and that is the method of disposing
of state timber lands. Under the
Z laws now upon the statute books the
lands are appraised by the residents
8 of the county in which the lands are
/ situated. These appraisers are tenn
8 porarily employed at insufficient
wages, and the easiest way to carr
their money is the most liable to be
adopted. Often the appraisal il
made without viewing the lands, anC
tracts covered with valuable pine
! have been sold at five dollars pei
acre. More than 80 per cent of the
: state lands are sold to spectators Of
persons buying them as investment
and without competition. AS an ex
q ample: At a sale Of state lands re
Gently held. there were 1873 forty acre
E tracts sold. One hundred an(
q eighteen of these tracts were sold a
8 the appraised price and nearly all t.
8 Spectators. OF the five forties tina
q were sold under competition four o
3 them sold at S.. so per acre; one 70
81 $500 per acre. The law providing
3 for the selling of state lands at publi
q auction and under competition
8 beautiful in theory, but will not worl
8 out in practice. This is especiall
q true in the counties where the re
naming state lands are located. Al
4 such purchases are harmful to til
j state and disastrous to the countie
q where the lands are located. Til
q speculator who is generally success
g full at these sales of state lands In
8 mediately places his newly acquire
= purchase upon the market at greatl
I5 increased price, often doubling 0