The Ely miner., 1915-08-13

subject to selection. 1t was ais
held that it was not incumbent o.
the corporation to make its selec
tion until all of the swamp lands O
St. Louis county had been surveye,
by the Federal government. Their
is still small tract of swamp land
unsurveyed in St. Louis count,
and under the ruling of the cour
the presumption is that the railroad
company still has the right to with
hold its selection.
The representatives of the rail
road company present at Friday:
conference with State Auditor
Preus were: F. E. House, presi
dent; L. B. Arnold, land com
missioner; Frank d. Adams
general solicitor, aud George w
Morgan of the company's legal
department.
Mr.. Arnold declared Friday that
the railroad company officials have
been endeavoring since 1911 to
obtain a satisfactory adjustment
of affairs with the state, but that
matters were delayed considerably
by the passage of a bill by the 1911
legislature, which provided that the
state should reserve all mineral
rights to itself in. filing railroad
land grants. 1t is understood that
the railroad company's claim is that
the law is unconstitutional. No
case has been brought, however, to
test the constitutionality of this
law, and it is not known whether
any such action is contemplated.
State Auditor Preus, who has
been giving especial attention to
state lands since he took up the
duties of his Office eight months
ago, appeared we'll satisfied with
the result.
l believe that the results will be
of tremendous advantage to the
state" said he, first, because a
great many of the people living on
the iron ranges and in other
portions of the county of St. Louis
have made requests that these
lands be placed on the market in
order that they might purchase and
make homes on them. Secondly,
when they are sold they will in
crease the school funds of the state,
making both the land and the
moneys derived from the sale
thereof working capital for the
people of the state.
i have create confidence that
the various points of difference be-
tween the railroad company and
the state in regard tests filing of
the grant will be satisfactorily
settled during the coming year and
that it will result in the state being
i'll position to sell all of its swamp
lands"
Numerous conferences have been
held between State Auditor Preus
and Land Commissioner Arnold
during the year and Fridays
meeting marked the beginning of
the end of the difficulty. Several
of the tracts released by the COM
pany Friday are located in the
sections of St. Louis county which
Commissioner Arnold has been en-
deavoring to develop. Approx
mately 5000 acres lie within the
to be drained by State
Ditch No l near Zim, Wallace and
Kelsey on the main line of the Du-
Iuth, Missabe & Northern Railway
The placing of these
lands on the market. it is said, will |
mean much to people of the range |
towns and others who are looking
,or this kind of land in a district |
where many improvements have al
ready been made.
Judge Lockrem S Decree" said |
Land Commissioner Arnold this
morning, did not affect or withhold |
rom the market the state swamp
ands in St. Louis county which
lad been set aside by the state
1nder its state institutions grant,
he total acreage of which was
'25 900, scattered over various
counties of the state and of which
| considerable portion was set aside
rom the state swamp lands in St.
4ou1s county.
This grant is under date of
FEB. 13, 1865, and is for the bene-
it of certain state institutions.
The apportionment was made as
ollows: Insane asylum, 100000
cres; deaf, dumb and blind in
100000 acres; state
'riSon, 100000 acres, and the
Nlnona, Mankato and St. Cloud
formal schools each $4,000 acres.
these lands were not withheld