The chapter dealing with the opinions re- 

 garding the value of these lands is most inter- 

 esting. The following are a few illustrations: 



Profit for Speculators vs. Reserve Minimum 

 Price. 



"I have prepared and am sending you plats 

 showing the lands (between 17,000 and 18,000 

 acres, purchased at prices from fifty cents to 

 two dollars, the top price paid for one eighty- 

 acre parcel; the average price paid per acre 

 was eighty-six cents), purchased in the name 

 of Myrtle E. Hellen, of Chicago, Illinois. 

 These lands are situated in Roscommon and 

 Crawford counties, with one purchase in Mus- 

 kegon county. The lands in Roscommon and 

 Crawford counties are being exploited by the 

 'Michigan Central Park Company' and are be- 

 ing sold, so I understand, at a uniform price 

 of $12 per acre. The purchasers are laboring 

 men, clerks, stenographers, etc., who are influ- 

 enced to invest their savings in small parcels 

 of these lands on contracts at long time- Of 

 course, this is a swindle on the purchasers, 

 but something that this department is not 

 accountable for and is powerless to prevent. 

 I have entered on each tract the sum received 

 by the State for it and have endeavored to 

 show just what information this department 

 had concerning the lands.' 



E. R. HAVENS, 

 Chief Clerk of Land Office. 



Extract From Letter Published in Roscom- 

 mon Herald, Feb. 13, 1908. 



It is true that the Michigan Central Park 

 Company purchased largely from the State the 

 forfeited lands. They accepted the price and 

 conditions and carried out their obligations in 

 every case. Today we will buy all of the land 



