The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-11-10
FRENz|ED GRABBING OF LANDS
6oo, 900 Acres of Land Withdrawn from
Settlement.
OF No Benefit Whatever Either . the State
or It's People.
BAREFACED STEAL.
BAREFAcED sTEAI.

ward by means ola pamphlet setting
forth the possibilities of this state for
those wishing TO locate and some
good was accomplished. A few days
after this comes another state official
with an order from the land depart
ment at Washington withdrawing
299, 900 acres of the public domain
from settlement until such time as
the president should see fit to issue a
proclamation creating this vast terri
tory forest reserve because the gen.
eral wished to do omething. The eff
forts of the State Auditor were shat
tered with this II |le hammer. Gov
eminent lands w ch can be secured
by the poor man e being withdrawn.
The large landed concerns are raising
the price on tn ir holdings. The
poor man has I'd show to secure a
homestead witheRt the outlay OF
much money aha in consequence
settles in the ci aes, to exc out an
existence.
The goYernmen1 has land in plenty
and land that wi eventually be put
to use by its eveHkincreasing number
of citizens. Tie Np $4,000 acres here
and 400, 900 acres here and thousands
who could make heir homes thereon,
will be compelledto seek elsewhere.
Settle these acresand fife taxes alone
would be of moresbenefit to the state
than the forest rsserye, not forgetting
the gain in popisstion, and a dozen
other benefits.
800, 900 acres of the public domain
are now withdrawn for forestry re.
serve purposes in Minnesota. Excep-
tion IS made of live entries lying with
in the proposed reserve. OF what use
live entry would be in this mess OF
dead lands is not stated by those hav-
ing the reserve fever. The live entry
man would improve his land willie
the reserve would be idle. No roads
would be built and the poor settler
could starye or take his supplies in
and products out ia a packsac. just
as soon as lie had improved enough
of his land to make showing, the as
SCISSOR would hop onto him and taxes
would follow while the government
with their large area paid nothing,
built no roads, school houses, or any
thing else. The1settlers would sooner
or later be frozen out.
Newspapers, Commercial clubs,
and citizens and everybody should
take the matter up and protest vigor-
ously against the barefaced robbery.
Pre-concerted action is necessary.
The larger part Of the people, are OPP
posed to the forest reserve PROPOSE
tions as outlined by a few in the
large cities who are DESTROYS of having
ahunting preserve and perhaps have
their eye on the timber on these lands.
With the state tending towards
drainage to reclaim vast quantities Of
lands at present just little swampy,
the knocking out Of the forest reserve
proposition and with judicious adyer-
Using, Minnesota should be in shape
to offer several inducements to people
looking for homes that should be a
drawing card and settle the states
lands with good, reliable citizens.
One idea which Minnesota could
successfully put into execution, would
be to quit paying salaries to officials
who for several years have done noth-
ing but knock The state lands with
the statements of thousands of acres
unfit for cultivation while it is safe
to say that out OF the 500, 900 acres
withheld for reserves, two-thirds is
| fit for use and tile other third could
be made so by drainage. This state
is altogether too good 90 allow the
government to step In and retard its
progress by tying up such vast
quantities of public property, as far
as can be seen, for no benefit whatever.