Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-04-08


Sos, 90
The total amounts of the several produc
tive funds under supervision of the Commits
sioners are as follows:
Dues on School Land Certiacstes..... ss6l ,2l7 8,
University ...... ISs,Soo =
" schooifund loan to individuals s7I,ls5 9
University g lo,6OI "
Drainage 69,lo9 O
state bonds and certificates
aboye...-. .......---.---.---.-- 1OssOoO y
Total. Szs9so,sAo W
The Commissioners condemn emphatically
the old system of loaning from the aecumula
ted principal of the several funds upon note
and mortgage at per cent. The difficulty
ascertaining the value of the land, the oppor
tunities Of afixing fraudulently excessive
valuation. and the danger that Commissioner:
themselves might be aetuated by friendly and
partial motives in making lOans-aTe vel
urged as reasons for abandoning the system
Thus IT appears from Exhibit sc" that loan:
Of $500 each were made to several partie:
IN IS56-7-S upon lands which, when forfeit
cd, we're found to be worth from nothing up
10 forty dollars in each instance. These
cases are rather glaring instances, but they
show the inherent viciousness of the system.
The present Commissioners desire to admin
ister their trust without fear or favor, and do
not want the chance to reward their friends
by making loans on fictitious securities.
On the subject of guarding the State lands
from trespasses the Report is quite explicit
ana earnest. The State has heretofore suf-
fered to a large amount in this way, particu-
larly as regards its pine-bearing lands. To
prevent this waste the Commissioners have
used all the means in their power, ard will
continue to use them. They call particular
attention to the fact that parties holding sim
ply &C Iifcates to the School lands have no
right TO commit waste, and will be punished
herefor. They also correct the false notion
that trespassers can compromise with the
timber clerks and make binding settlements
They say that they earnestly desire, and
they firmly intend, that it shall be recogniz-
81 A. settled fact, in those districts where
the State lands lie, that trespaSsiag Is more cost
Iy d.D. honest dealing.
They say, in conclusion:
sour great educational endowment should
never be a subject for private plumber The
advantages for free education are so pal pable,
50 Tar reaching, so inestimable, that no one,
il should seem, can be Indifferent TO the i'm
porIance of retaining them undiminished-
We urgently solicit our citizens throughout
the State TO condemn BY voice and conduct,
the ubiquitous practice of depredating upon
the State lands and to adopt and diligently
pursue all means to deter and punish offend
ers. The commissioners will, at al times, be
thankful for any information that NAV lead
10 the detection of the trespassing, or of
negligence or misconduct in the clerks ap-
pointed TO prevent il. We have entered up
on a system. which we hope will leave fewer
grounds for complaint, on both these heads,
than have heretofore existed, and il shall be
no fault of ours, if il is not effective. The
table annexed, marked Exhibit 81, !" shows
that within the past year, nearly twelve thou
sand acres have been reported as treSpassed
on, and that seizures have been made of ma
terials cut on over ten thousand acres. Some
Of these, however, have been enormously re-
ported, and upon corrections being subse-
quently made, the seizures have been aban-
dOned. OF the lands so reported, over four
thousand acres have been subsequently fully
paid for, and more will soon be paid for.
The sum of 81, 496 0S has been realized
from penalties paid, and sales of materials
seized, while the amount paid for the protec-
ton of the State lands has been 81 1896 So
Il is proper to call attention, however, to the
fact that the amount of penalties paid is by
no means the measure of the utility of the
system. We may fairly presume that but few
L. tod
ever have been purchased of the State, if the
trespassers had been allowed to strip the
land and escape with the booty. The amount
obtained BY the State from the purchasers Of
those lands may be mostly set down as a re
suit of the work of the timber clerks. MOI
is this all. The chief value of the system i:
the inducement TO purchase timbered land:
now left by many who formerly obtained tim
Der without the least idea of owning the lanC
on which they cut il. It is now, We think
generally understood that it is not safe tC
trust TO stealing as the foundation for d large
lumber business; consequently purchasing is
more in fashion than in earlier times. The
honest dealers also see that they cannot fairly
compete with those who pay nothing for then
timber, and they are therefore not only il
clined to purchase themselves, but compel
their less serupulOus neighbOrs to do the
same. These fruits cannot be exactly emu
merated, but they are found in the large in
crease this year of purchases, and particularly
of full payments. The sales have been thi:
year one-third larger than those of last year
while the lands paid and patented the past yeal
are los, 2S6.67 acres, against 76,365.29 acre:
the previous year. We know that substantial
portion of this increase is owing to the watch
fuIness exercised over the public lands, anC
the enhanced risks of trespassing on them.
The State now owns lands as follows
School lands, 59O,59S.6s acres; Universit!
lands, 2S,922.2s; selected in lieu of swamp
lands sold by the United States, 1850
swamp lands, l,7O5, $3.50; in the aggregate
apes, OS276 acres.
From Mexico.