The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1913-09-12

the past week concerning the re-
classification of timber lands on
the eastern portion of the Flat
head reservation, there is small
encouragement for those who
have made homestead applica-
tions for the land. While these
reports are unofficial and come
in a roundabout way, there is
reason to believe they are reliable
and that very few will get the
land.
The cruising of the tracts APP
piled for seems to have revealed
that there is much more timber
on the land than the local cruis-
ers have ever estimated to be on
the land and that the value of
the timber is greater than the
agricultural value of the same.
This final estimate was arrived
at by valuing the timber at $3.50
per 1000 feet and the land in
many instances at $500 per
acre. Local timber estimators
are free to say that they cannot
see how any such amounts of
timber were found by the gov
ernment cruisers and adhere to
their former estimates as being
as nearly correct as timber can
be cruised. Some say it must
be that all spike top and dam
aged trees are counted as COM
mercial stuff and that such an
estimate could have been ar
rived at only through this pro-
cess.
Those who have worked for
the past three years to secure a
title to this class of land are not
disposed to to give up meekly
but will continue their efforts
with hopes of finally succeeding.
A bill has been introduced in
the senate by Senator Myers
which would help wonderfully in
placing this land on the market,
should it pass, and the special
provisions of the bill are as fol-
lows:
'That all merchantable timber
on said lands returned and clas-
sitied by said commission as tim
ber lands, shall be sold and dis
posed of by the Secretary Of the
Interior, for cash, under sealed
bids or at public auction, as the
Secretary OF the Interior may
determine, and under such reg
uIations as he may prescribe:
Provided, That after the sale
and removal of the timber such
of said lands as are valuable for
agricultural purposes shall be
sold and disposed Of by the Sec
retary Of the Interior in such
manner and under such regula-
lions as he may prescribe: Pro-
vided further, That lands valu-
able for agricultural or horticul-
tural purposes, heretofore CLASH
fled as timber lands, may, in the
discretion Of the Secretary of the
interior, be appraised under reg
ulations prescribed by him and
be opened to homestead entry
under the general provisions Of
section nine, upon condition that
homestead entrymen shall at
time of making their original
homestead entries pay the full
value of the timber on the land
entered as fixed by the appraise-
ment commission, such payments
to be in addition to the appraised !
price of the lands, apart from
the timber, as herein author
ized.'
An effort will be made to have
Congressman Evans introduce a
bill in the house, and also
to urge it's passage. Mr.. Evans
is on the public lands committee
Of the house and should be in a
position to secure the enactment
Of the measure. !
In this connection it can be
said that much of the timber on
the land in question has been
condemned by the government
expert sent out especially to ex-
anime and report on the matter,
that the timber is badly affected
with the beetle and that much
Of it must be removed at once in
order to protect the trees not
affected. This fact
shonld have some haarinp IN an