The Parker post., 1918-03-30
PUBLIC SALE
PARKER LOTS

Under date of March Z, the de-
partment of the interior ordered the
commissioner of the general land Of
flee to offer for sale on March 80 at
public outcry the unreserved and un-
sold lots in the tOWnsite Of Parker.
The first intimation of such a sale
was received last Saturday by The
Post in a circular letter from the land
office, too late for announcement in
our last weeks issue.
That the government would at
tempt another sale of townsite lots
at this time came as complete sur
prise to the people here So far as
this paper can learn no public adver
tisement has been made of the sale,
and there is surely no local demand
for the lots now held by the govern
ment.
On May 10, 1910, a public sale of
lots was held here, and approximate
ly 100000 of desert real estate was
sold at fabulous prices by agents of
the general land office About $780,
900 has been paid. into the general
land office for Parker lots, the bal
ance having been forfeited by pur-
chasers owing to the long delay in
opening the surplus lands of the res
ervation to settlement.
At the time of the sale in 1910
it was generally understood that the
reservation would be open to entry
at an early date in view of the pass
age Of an act of congress just pre-
viOus to the sale making an initial
appropriation of $4,000 for the con-
struction of a pumping plant and for
the appropriation of water for the ir-
rigation of approximately 10000
acres of land That the lands would
be opened soon thereafter was fur
ther substantiated by the enormous
increase in the re-appraisement of
tOwnsite lots, ranging from 800 to
500 per cent.
Since the 1910 sale was held no
effort was made on the part of the
officials of the Indian office or the in
terror department to secure the op-
ening of the surplus lands, until the
past few months, when an appro-
priation was asked for by the Indian
department for the purpose Of MAX
ing survey and investigation of the
project. In the Indian appropriation
bill as passed by the house a, few
weeks ago $4,000 was set aside for
this purpose, but the committee on
Indian affairs in the senate has cut
this amount down to $4,000. Or
iginally the Indian department asked
for $3.50 for this purpose, and it
is very doubtful that the sum allowed
by the seate committee will be suffi-
cient for the purpose.
1t appears to be the purpose of the
Indian department to ask congress
for an appropriation for the cOnstruc-
tfon Of gravity system of irrigation
for the Parker Indian lands provided
the investigation and survey proves
satisfactory During the period of
the war it is unlikely that congress
will make any further appropriations
for new irrigation systems, as the
policy has been the past year to cut
every appropriation asked for.o par
TALLY completed projects.
Therefore, in view of the forego-
ing the proposed sale of lots in the
Parker townsite next Saturday seems
to be unjustified at this time If there
is no immediate hope of the opening
of the reservation lands to entry, in
vestors should not be solicited to
invest their hard-earned money dur
ing these troublous times in worthless
real estate; if there is hope of an
early opening such sale is also mad
visable for the reason that the lots
to be offered for sale would command
much higher price after it was def
nitely known that the government
proposed to construct the Parker pro-
ject. AS the money derived from the
sale of these lots goes to the benefit
of the Indians belonging to this res
ervation, an injustice would be done
the Indians If the lots we're sold at
a less price than. could be obtained
for them at later date Under the
circumstances someone is going to
get the worst of it in either event
the investor or the Indian.
The official notice of the proposed
sale to be held next Saturday, March
80. is as follows:
Sale of Parker Lots.
Department of the Interior. Wash
ington, March Z, 1918.
"The Commissioner of the General
Land Office.