The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-11-03
QUESTION STATES
RIGHT TO LAND
Complaint Made To Secretary Of The
Interior That Governments Terms
Are Being Ignored
MACKENZIE AND KING SIGN
Development Association Officers
Seek To Compel State To Use Pro-
ceeds To Drain Additional Land.

Seek To Compel State To Use Pro-
ceeds To Drain Additional Land.
That the state OF Minnesota ha
violated the conditions under whic
5000, 1000 acres of swamp land hav
been patented to. the state by tn
federal government was the CON
plant made Saturday to Franklin
Lane, secretary of the interior. Til
complaint is signed by President
M. King and Secretary w. r. Mac
kenzie of the Northern Minncsot
Development association. They as
Secretary Lane to refrain from paten
ing an additional 100000 acres Q
swamp land to the state, until h
has made an investigation.
A conflict between state and fed
eral authorities is forecast by thi
complaint Of the northern Minnesot
men. .-
A Tangled Situation
The situation is in a tangle, tn
facts being as follows: ........ g.
Congress in. 1860 granted all
swamp lands within the state
of Minnesota to the state, on
condition that the proceeds be
used to drain and: improve these
lands. Z
The legislature took no steps
in this direction, and in the =
early years made large grants of
swamp lands to railroads. :.
The people in 1881 adopted
an amendment to the state con-
st1tution, directing that "the
principal of all lands, as afore-
said, shall forever be preserved
inviolate and undiminished."
The income from this principal
was devoted, one half to the
school fund, and one half to the
state institutions. -
Attempts in recent years to
= get. state aid for improvement
Of these swamp lands have been
met by the plea that the state
: constitution prohibits it. The
state has appropriated money to
drain some of the lands, but has
received the money back by in
. creased prices when the lands
were sold.
The 1913 legislature submit
ted constitutional amendment
to create $250,000 revolving
fund for improvement of these
lands, but 1t must be approved
by people at the 1914 election.
Acting AS Individuals
GIN sending this letter we are not
following action by our association
said Secretary Mackenzie, 'but
the matter is one that will be taken
up at our annual meeting at Bemidj
in December. We do not want thu
state to lose these lands, but we d.
want the state to keep faith with thu
federal government and reclaim these
swamp lands. This section in thu
state constitution stands in the way
but 1 don't believe it would stand il
it ever should come to the Unitet
States supreme court. The state ha,
no right to adopt provision violat
ing the conditions Of that grant,"
President King, whose home is a
Deer River went to Minneapolis tt
consult with Mr.. Mackenzie. The.
framed the letter and mailed it Sat
urday. They hope that some actor
will be taken soon by the Washing
ton authorities. ~ -.
The lands about to be patented
the state are mainly located in tn
Red Lake Indian reservation and i
that general section of the state
Much of the swamp land has bee
drained and is now good farmin
land, while swamp tracts in north
eastern Minnesota have been develop
ed in some cases into valuable stat
mines, from which millions of ton
Of iron ore have been taken.
E. J. Swedback returned Saturda
night from Willston, North Dakot;
where he has spent the past week Q
business.