The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1907-04-19
FIFTY THOUSAND IN BENTON.


Railroad Lands-Movement to Force
Their Sale at $3.50 per Acre.
Are Southern Pacific rsilroad
lands in Benton to be sold to actual
settlers at $2.So per acre! There
are so, 900 acres of such lands in
the county. They lie mostly in
Southwestern Benton, extending
from Marys Peak to the Lane coun.
ty line. There are also many
quarter sections and smaller SUBJ
divisions in Willamette and other
precincts. Many of the quarters
are covered with a heavy growth
of the finest timber, aggregating
millions OF feet per quarter. None
of the lands can be bought at any
price, having been Withdrawn
few years ago from the market.
At first the price of the timber
lands was raised to So per acre,
and then to SI2.5o. but ultimately
they were withdrawn from sale al
together.
There is a law under which it is
claimed that the railroad is com.
peiled to sell these lands TO actual
settlers at S.. so per acre. 1t is the
law that grants the lands to the
railroad in order to aid in construc-
ton. The company was the Ore
gon Central, and for several years
&efore the grant was made, it has
been struggling to get funds with
which TO construct the road. A
provision of the grant was that 20
miles of road should be built with
in a given time. After several ex-
tensions of the time limit had been
made, finally, under an act of con-
gress approved April 10th, 1909,
the twenty miles was built, and the
terms of the grant complied with.
Ia the act however, it was specified
that the lands should be sold to
actual settlers at $2. so per acre. 1t
Nas also specified that the terms of
the grant should be accepted by
the company within a year, and
that proper acknowledgment of
this acceptance should be made.
This acknowledgment was made
by the company, the provision with
reference to sale at Sc. so included.
I'm spite of these terms, the railroad
company has held the lands, and
has COW withdrawn them from sale
the plan being to hold them until
lands go to higher price and the
largest possible profit realized.
Originally the grant eastside and
Westside, comprised E, $780, 900 acres
In all about 3,ooo,oo acres remain
uusold. It is claimed that nearly
the half of Jackson county is thus
tied up, and the development o.
the section retarded by the action
of the company.
The movement to compel the
company to observe the terms oi
@"the law, had its beginning at the
Eugene Shippers convention.
There it was advocated by Mr..
Kllingsworth of Portland, and Mr.
Mullett of Jackson county. In Jack.
son it was political issue at the
election last year, and it was or
that issue that Senator Mullet,
was elected. Senator Bourne anc
Congressman Hawley have since
taken the matter up at Washington
and the metropolitan newspaper:
have been discussing it. The pres
-ident is reported to have become in
terested, as has the attorney gen
eral of the United States. The con
ztention is that either legal proceed
:ings or an additional congressional
act will force the railroad to pu
the lands on the market under til,
terms of the land grant law. Their
is no doubt but the agitation vii
aess,lt in action by high authorities
zsna it looks very much like tn
Hands will yet go to actual settler
~at the original government price
7at,ongh the railroad claims it ha
"a perfect title. The opening 9
tthe lands under the terms of tn
grant would give very great impet
us to settlement and development
of Benton, and still greater impetu
to such development and settle
s,1ent in other counties, PARTICULAR,
in Southern Oregon.