Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-04-26
eouTpERN PACIFIC MAY
HAVE TO SELL LANDS
,.o Not Evade Terms OF Grant
From Congress Is Opinion
OF Mr.. Ballinger.

one Of the biggest nandicsps to the
,.,elopmeut and prosperity of South
" Oregon is the Oregon & California
\ nompsuv's land grant. that embrao-
n, every alternate section and being
r;tbdravn from sale, has for years
.,t down by just one-half the avail
,bs Agricultural, timber, mining and
[; ;riOation resources of Rogue River
,,d Umpqua Valleys. There is "a
amor afioat that the Southern Pa
,sc. that now holds this grant, is
,Isuning to put the agricultural land
m ithe market, but the timber and
mineral land will be withheld from
nle. The Company claiming that the
,usndment by congress Of the terms
1 their original grant is legal which
rOhibited them from charging more
nsu s.. 80 an acre for the land they
,ill have the farm lands appraised
md listed. 1t is evidently the plan
4 the Company to hold their timber
and as source for their lumber
apply, cutting it with their own
nils. This they are now doing in
Lane county where they have three
swmills in operation and are build
ng the fourth mill.
It is the general opinion of the pub
lie backed by some Of the best legal
alent of the country that the terms
II the grant by which they acquired a
yUung empire of land, must be ad-
asred to by the Southern Pacific in
' he sale Of their lands in Southern
oregon. Congressman W. c. Hswley
tss been looking up this matter and
be is certain that the Company can
e made to sell this land and that the
ypsximum price shall not exceed 81. 80
In acre. The following from the
Oregonisn fully explains what the
nngressman from this district is
hing to relieve Southern Oregon of
|he railroad land monopoly that is
Ilch a blight on the prosperity Of
logue River Valley;
The Southren Pacific Company can
h forced by the courts to sell its
|nilroad grant land in this state ac-
|@rding to the terms of the acts of
congress, is the opinion of R. A.
|Alinger, commissioner of the
general land Office, given by letter to
w. c. Hawley. representative in
|nngress for the Oregon First district.
According to Commissioner Bsllin-
her no further legislation by Congress
needed to put in the hands of the
people Of this state the power which
|thsy have thought they needed in
order to break up the 5000, 600 acre
and monopoly OF the railroad, com
|pel 1t to open the lands to sale to
actual settlers, in tracts of not more
than 100 acres to each purchaser and
at rrice rot exceeding 81. 30 an acre.
These plain limitations on the
possession of the lands are contained
|in an act of April 10, 1869, by virtue
pf which the Oregon Central Railroad
East Side line) and its successor, the
Oregon & California Railroad. OBJ
ained free from tue Government at
bonus for building the railroad from
Portland to the California state line
some 5000. 900 acres of non minera
land aud in an act of May 4, 1870, by
virtue of which the Ore gon Centra
Railroad West Side Iine) secured
SOM 500 900 acres for the railroad
between Portland aud McMinnville.
The United States gave odd nun
bered sections of land, 10 ou each 81,
of the track. to the amount of ~. so
acres for each mile of road The to'a
acreage or the 800 odd miles of track