Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-08-14
DEMAND FOR RELIEF FOR THE
HOMESTEADERS

AS result of meeting of the
governors of North and South Da-
kota, Senators Gamble and Crawford
and Congressman Martin and others
at Huron, an urgent appeal was for
warded to Acting Secretary of the
Interior Frank Pierce, Secretary Bal
linger being absent on the Pacific
coast, for speedy action by the de-
partment in the matter of withdraw
ais OF large areas of lands, and the
suspension of entries, sales and final
proofs for the time being in order
that coal values may be determined
The result OF this order works un-
usual hardship at this time in large
areas where drouth has prevailed, as
many claimants are DESTROYS of COM
muting in order to obtain financial
assistance necessary to provide for
the winter season and until another
crop can be sown and reaped. No
money for proving up can be obtained
from loan companies under the pres
ent conditions. There is a cloud that
scares the timid, and money is timid.
If the honesteader wants to prove
up and has complied with the law thus
far, no order should be construed as
to work a hardship upon him. If it
is to become the settled policy of the
government to give surface title after
this, reserving to the government any
coal that may be discovered of CON-
mercial value underlying the agricul-
tural lands on these prairies-and this
seems likely-then the sooner this
policy is promulgated the better. The
settler wants title to his land and
II he cannot get full title he should
have the right to elect to take sur
face title and his standing will then
be determined and the cloud removed.
1t seems that the executive order
of July 9TH is being construed differ
emily in different United States land
districts. For instance, in the Lem
mon district, which reaches up into
North Dakota, the local land officers
refuse to even accept filings or proofs,
while in the Bismarck district filings
and proofs are accepted and receipt
given, but no certificate. The latter
Interpretation would seem to be the
most rational.
Undoubtedly some action will be
taken soon by the department., but it
will require long time and the ex.
penditure of quite sum of money to
definitely determine what lands are
underlaid with coal of possible COM
mercial value now or in the future.
In the meantime if the settler elects
to take surface title and thus remove
at once and definitely any possible
cloud on his title, he ought to have
the opportunity to do so.
AS result of the Huron meeting,
which was attended by distinguished
officials and representatives of com.
mercial clubs in the southwestern
part of North Dakota and districts in
South Dakota, the following communi-
cation was forwarded to Washington:
Huron, S. D., Aug. II, 1910.
Hon. Frank Pierce,
Acting Secretary of the Interior,
Washington, D. c..
. Sir: We have today been in con-
ference in the city of Huron upon
the urgent request of seventeen CON-
mercial and homestead clubs of the
Lennon land district in North Da-
kota and South Dakota, to consider
the serious nature of the situation in
which the homesteaders are placed in
that district in part as the result of
the recent order of the department
of date July 81, 1910, and Executive
Order of July 7th, withdrawing from
entry, sale and disposal certain lands
in said district and other districts
similarly situated.
The situation from the standpoint of |
the homesteaders is really critical.
Drouths have prevailed during the
present season, resulting in wide
spread crop failure, causing many
more settlers than otherwise would
not have done 80 to make commute
lion proof in order to obtain prompt !