Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-02-24

alternate timber sections owned by
Mr. Hartman and his stockholders or
friends. by virtue Of the 50 mile wide
grant OF the Oregon G. California rail.
road. The present value Of this lavish
glft Hy congress utterly ignorant Of
its worth. Il is impossible utterly i'm
nossible TO state A kings ransom
put OF the even numbered sections in
every timbered township the history
ls the same Individual claims on eacn
quarter section, carrying timber worth
now I'm the market 81 per 1000 feet
or. on the 1900 900 feet a low average
10 the quarter section, $4,000. For this
the United States has been paid s40O
The claimant has generally paid 500
TO a timber cruiser for locating him
on the land. Probably about ten days
time. or somewhat more, has gone be
fore title could be completed. outlay.
then. $500. on a liberal calculation.
Imagine. then. the map. AS claim
is tte n. p. 4 Of section 10. in town
snip south, range west Of VILLAIN
cite meridian. lie ls surrounded on
north. south. east and west, by sec
tlons 2. Q. i5. II. the railroad grant
sections. lie and his three. presum.
ably. friends. owners Of the rest Of sec.
ton tj. are at the mercy Of the sur.
rounding owners utterly. completely.
on section 10 there Is not enough
timber to Justify putting in a sawmill
and building roads TO the nearest out
let. often many miles away. 50 the
big corporation or capitalist. whose
possessions inclOse our claimant. walt.
contontedly. for him 20 come TO their
very modest price. n he waits for
them and stays waiting. he carefully
forbcars from completing nis title and
taking patent. and this because he 20
escapes taxalon. The state. the
county. is not a penny the gamer by
this whole transaction.
Il would pay the nation to refund
10 every individual claimant Of this
type every dollar that he has paid of
hls $500 purchase price. and give him
$500 bonus for bis outlay and proh1
And then the nation would make on an
average 300 per cent boy tae operation.
Nation Pillaped and Dsfrauded.
prefer to use the word nation"
rather than government" IN thls con
ncCtiou. Omcials seem to prefer the
latter. as De-. perhaps. natural for them
nut the nation means tho American
people present and 10 come. There So
iho roai party in interest IN an these
transactions. pillaEcd. dofraudod too
often. Imposed on always by the short
sIghtodncs of itu Representatives. the
cred of those doing business with tho
hclplahn. great mass OF aggregated pos
sessions and possibilities.
what remedies Do these wise men.
these experts. auggoatG First. 20 ~.
pea the timber and stone act. and ov.
oylhing that holds 20 aud with a. or
course that goes without saying
Ncat9
That tho timber on public. surveyed
and unclaimed lands be- advert. "a
and sold To the highest bidder This
oilaor by public suction or private
sale. under conditions prescribed by
tho secretary OF the Interior First
tho timber 10 b. appraised. and bids
20 bo advertised for Power 20 r5ioct
any or an bids.
Nest comes provision of doubtful,
worth THAT b. shan be- unlawful f1r
ans purchaser of such sale to seII /
transfer assiFn coz in any manner /
ALLEVIATE his rishis except as authorized /
hy che secretary" q Do good logic Jo |
surround the purchase with any pre- /
sious conditions desired. hut. sale once |
made the purchaser should be free. If |
apg idea is lurking here that thus the |
absorption OF small tracts in large
ones be- foresialled. it may as well |
be dropped. What a would accom-
plish would DO 10 lower the price AZ
me sale