Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-06-02

iHiS colOlly VI immigrants so napplly
planted upon our domain, has become
so firmly located and settled as not TO
be overlooked. Though a success thus
far, yet it is not 50 completely estab-
llshed that the work can be said to be
nniShed. The fostering care and over
sight of the State is still invoked, as
necessary 10 the fun success Of the
mission (which the colony has SO hap
PLY inaugurated This care is now
devoived upon the Land Agent, where
il most properly belongs.
NI-RECORDS AND ARCHIVES.
Attention has already been directed
10 the important subject Of repairing,
preserving ANA reducing to order for
futur- MS" ana reference. the great
mass OF drrl.E-nts. maps, tield-noteS
and records, which for more than half
century have been accommodating in
the Land Office. and enriched by those
vastly valnabIe ones recently donated
To us by The parent Commonwealth.
going back in our history to the earliest
settlement Of the country. This work
has already been commenced upon. but
further time Will be necessary iii order
10 its completion. Reference is here
made TO remarks on this subject on a
previous page Of this report.
H-FEKNISHING INFORMATIoN.
THE statute requires that plans and
field notes Of surveys containing
description Of growth, soil. etc, shall
be deposited in the Land Office, open
for inspection at All times when the
Land Agent or assistant is in the
offic'., and that 'he shall aid in fun
nishing Information about the public
Lands To all persons who seek for II at
his Office AS might be naturally eX-
pectcd under the circumstances de
tailed in the foregoing remarks, Vhe II a
very large portion OF all the land owners
in the State hold their titles under
original grants from Maine or MaSSa-
chusetts, the number of applicants for
information is constantly great from all
parts of the state. The nature OF
these calls show, that this demand will
not, at least for very long time cease.
To meet it, it is necessary that some
Gust odian of the documents should eX-
list to whom application may be made,
and who may not only afford the in
formation desired, but also such certi-
fed copies as may be required in
judicial and other proceedings.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND SUI
PERNlSORY DUTIES.
"1he custom has prevailed for al
most the entire history Of our State for
the legislature annually to make grants
of sums to be expended for various
purposes of internal Improvement, such
as the making and repairing Of roads
building Of bridges. etc, in nearly all
of which cases the duty has devolNed
upon the Land Agent to oversee the eX-
penditure. Indeed this service has
adCed largely every year to the duties
and responsibilities of the office. I'm
less the state proposes to deny all fu-
| ture appropriations Of this kind. pro
| vision must be made to meet this Ser
vice in future.
| "Such in the main, are the duties
which remain for the Land Office de
( partment to perform, and which tn.
| Land Agent has felt it his duty
| respectfully to report for the action o
| the proper authorities"
The foregoing views prevailed witt
| Governor Common and the members o.
|
mittee on state Lands and State Road:
on February Il. 1876, reported to tn
| House of Represent 4 bill en-
| titled "An Act relating to the appoint
ment Of the land agent and his duties.
This bill read as follows:
"R" it enacted by the Senate an'
House Of Representatives. i'll Legisla
tnre assembled. as follows:
1T shall be the duty Of the COVER
nor. with the advice of council, to ap
point the Ian! agent. who shall hol'
his Office during their pleasure; and
shall be his duty under their direction
as speedily as the public good shall al
low to bring to termination all I'M
settled business connected with tn
land office, relating to the lands BE-
longing to the State. to the end tina
the Office may be discontinued at tn
earliest practicable moment"
The foregoing measure was passe
BY the legislature ana was approved b
Governor Conner, February -. 49,.
In his message Of January 4. 1877, Coy
ernor Conner said:
"The duties of the Land Agent hay
been performed under the immedat
: direction Of the Governor and Counci
as required by the act Of 1876 relatin
: to the appointment ana duties Of thu
+ officer AMI il mas been their endeav,
. | to further rs far as possible the ~
pressed purpose Of that act to prepal
$ for he diScOntinuance Of the Ian
| otfica at the earle st practicable m,
! ment | am convinced that the Off
1 cannot be at present advantageous
y | discontinued, and that the transfer
y its duties to some other departnrl
G " ould neither benefit the public X
= vice nor effect an economy"
{ In closing this review Of the NOV
. ment to abolish the Land Office. il M
f be sud that the time has never sim
y come when in the opinion Of the Co
ernor or the Legislature of Maine Il
abolition Of the Land Office "WoIl
baneiit the public service or effect ;
: | economy" and. 50 general is Il
: recognition Of the Importance Of III
: | DEPARTMENT at the present time tn
f" Their. is probably not an int-llige
citizen of the State who would tod.
! seriously advocate sue h a measure.
As the public land sales Of 1874 a.
, 1875 have been a target of conSiderat
~ criticism il may be well to conSid,
= carefully. ana in detail. the facts pt