The Daily Missoulian., 1913-01-21
BIG BUSINESS MEETING
ENEMIES
Continued From Page One.)

Continued From Page One)
reclamation of the lands are mere pro-
moters, who must secure capital from
other parties to carry on the work, and
while this is. to q large extent, a nee
essarv evil, we believe the state should
not withhold large areas Of land from
settlement at the pleasure of promoters
who have but little prospect OF ulti-
mate success, and we believe that the
Carey board should at all times insist
upon substantial progress upon the
part of those with whom contracts for
reclamation have been made, and should
not allow work to stop on any project
until Just before the. date set for the
completion of the work, and then as
sist the contractors in getting an eX-
tension Of time from the United States
government
TO cure the evils complained of a
bill was passed by the senate at the
same session. After the bill had been
placed on the house files it was ap-
stracted therefrom, taken to Butte,
submitted to certain interested per-
sons-located not far from the sixth
floor of the Hennessy huilding-and
returned later to it's proper place.
Subsequently the bill became a law,
much amended, however.
AS amended, the law was an I'M
provement upon the former statute,
but there is grave doubt whether it's
provisions We're followed in good faith
bv the Norris -Galen--or Galen- Norris
! ton, hot 1,a1I az
Captol for the two years that en-
sued Most of the, evils of the Carey
land board administration found by the
committee two years ago will stu be
found to exist, and the new committee
If one be appointed-will not need
magnifying glass to find them. Pro-
| yided of course, that it's members
Shall not be afflicted with strabismus
Other Work.
The probe committee of two years
ago was also authorized to include
other state lands in it's investigation,
and to Judge from the unanimous re-
port it submitted the committee un-
covered a veritable. state of thinss!'
For instance, it described at length a
certain lease of land frontage on Pol
son lake The committee said, among
other things:
THE land covered by the lease
consists of a narrow strip OF
lake shore about 125 feet wide.
living between high ana low water
mark and extending along the
lake shore for distance of about
LOO feet, at point near the town of
Poison. The land in question en-
braces all of the land that is available
for landing purposes at the point
named, and it has been used by the
public for such purposes ever since
navigation first started on Flathead
lake Poison is a city of nearly 2,OOt
people, and all the docks, Wharves anc
warehouses used by the people of tha'
place in connection with navigation or
the lake are situated on this strip o
land. AS there is no railroad at o
e near Poison, all of the shipping of tha
/ entire section is carried on over tn
f lake.
4 '',rhe land was leased for the osten
s ible purpose of removing sand an
gravel, but the real purpose of tn
lessee was to secure control Of all tn
% land available for docks and wharf
, The rental paid by the lessee to tn
70 state is IS per month for the entlf
tract, and the rental asked of sub-ter
ants by the lessee is $500 per annul
= for each fifty feet Of frontage. TT
~ only correct term by which to desie
nate such a transaction is highWa
robbery.
"The people of Poison had no know
I edge Of the lease until long after
\ was executed, and as soon as the
I learned of it they made vigorous pr
test to the state land board, and Sc
a committee to Helena to ask that tt
lease be. revoked, but they received !
redress at the hands of the state lal
board. In view of all the circun
stances in connection with this matte
the conclusion is inevitable that
state land board acted in total disr
gard of the rights of the people
Poison in granting a lease which G.
ables a speculator to exercise m
nopoly over a public thoroughfal
which of right belongs to the peoE
- and over which the board had no leg
right to grant lease
Governor Norris, chairman of t
Do state land board and other membe
o. of the board, maintained upon the. wi
ness stand lnat the lease is d ieaSe
/" public purposes because the money r
ceived goes into the public treasur
.e9 but this contention is hardly worthy
ile serious consideration"
This record will be of interest j
ne now because Of the fact that the Sc
Oh ator who has introduced the pendl
wv probe resolution is the Identical sen
ne tor who introduced the resolution
ID investigation two years ago. His lea
ership in originating the matter tn
De naturally gave him the chairmansf
Oh Of the committee, Just as the fact u
he started the game at this sessl
M will give him a similar position If
,m committee is created. Two years
in however, the resolution of Sena
try Whitesidc gave the committee instr,
ms tions to invest gate "Other state lan'
,lip unI1 H., Corov lands II