The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-05-06
SETTLERS FLEECED
BY CAPITAL SHl l.xe ...,.
GENERAL LAND OFFICE 81.
LENCE ON REFUND TO N. P.
HOMESTEADERS

. W washington 10 Tile MIeIeSI OI CHe
farmers and homesteaders living on
the lands formerly belonging to the
Northern Pacific Railway has cost
them several hundred thousand dollars
and before the results of his negli-
gence come to an end the burden on
the settlers Of the Northwest may
amount to several millions. Money
which the government owes to set
tiers, many of whom are in straight
ened circumstances or account of the
drouth and crop failures, is pouring
into the Golfers of some shyster at
torneys in Washington who profit by
the failure of the federal land office
to inform homesteaders of their
rights. Had it not been for the activ-
ity Of the North Dakota Leader in ex-
posing the graft and setting forth
the claims Of the settlers on the gov
ernment this Fleeing Of the public
might have continued for months.
Here is the situation. In April 1919
the United States Supreme Court held
that the farmers who took up home
steads in the odd numbered sections
Of land for 40 miles on either side of
the N. P. right Of way from Lake Su-
perior to Puget Sound and who paid
$3.50 an acre for their land were done
an injustice. They should not, have
been compelled to pay more than the
settlers who filed for the even num-
bered sections in the area and were
charged only slips per acre. If the
railroad was entitled to the extra $1.25
per acre the federal government and
not the settler on the odd numbered
section should pay it. In September
1919 the Secretary Of the Interior de-
cided that a refund of $1.25 an acre
was due all settlers from Puget Sound
to Lake Superior who paid $3.50 for
their railroad land.
Land Office Keeps Mum
Not until December 13 did the Cen
eral Land Office of the Department of
the Interior send out notice to local
land offices along the line informing
them Of the decision. The circular
was so vague that it was not easy to
decide whether in the future settlers
should pay on $1.25 or just what ar
rangement the General Office contem-
plated. No mention was made of the
matter of a refund coming to those
settlers who had already paid $3.50.
While the Washington authorities
were keeping mum about the decision
(not one word having appeared in the
newspapers) a firm of Washington
lawyers had secured lists of settlers
entitled to a refund of $4,000 for
each quarter section they owned and
was flooding the Northwest with let
ters. The letter told the settler moth
ing of the decision. It ANNOUNCED that
he had a claim against the United
States for $4,000 or whatever the
sum was and the attorneys offered to
prosecute the claim if they would be
given so per cent of the amount re-
ceived. "This is not a mere collection"
says the lawyer, sbut essentially a
a law case that involves the interpre-
tation of statute. Any favorable re-
suits that may be obtained will be due
to our efforts" Thousands of home
steaders, hard pressed financially
jumped at the hundred dollar bait and
signed the papers which the lawyers
proffered them and thus surrendered
$4,000 that would have been theirs if
the federal officials had taken the
trouble to make the public their decis-
ion. -
Collection Not Difficult
AS matter Of fact all that the
homesteader entitled to refund
needs to do is fill out blank which
may be obtained at his local land Of
flee and in due time he will have a
check for $4,000 for each quarter Sec
ton. The inside information Of the
Washington sharks enabled them to
collect $4,000 from each settler for
this simple service. Congressman
Young who made inquiries as soon as
this graft was uncovered learned that
95 per cent Of all the claims being
pressed were handled by these attor-
neys. In view Of the thousands Of set
tiers involved the rake-off Of the blood
suckers runs well nigh millions.
The General Land Office takes q
naughty attitude when questioned as
to their failure to inform homestead
ers and thus save them from the
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