The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1883-02-08
KANsAS'sCH0OL LANDS.

The bill OF Senator Sluss, for the estab-
| lishment of u State land Office and the ap.
pCiDtment Of commissioner, and providing
| for the sppraisment and sale Of school lands,
which passed the Senate yesterday after.
noon after quite a protracted and exhaustive
debate. is a measure OF much more impor-
lance than would be considered at fret
glance. 1t was subjected to q good deal OF
amendment before passage, and rs IL goes 10
| the House is about as complete and compre-
hensiye as it can well be made.
1t is one Of the straDgest Thugs in the
| world that there has never been . custodian
of the common school lands in Kansas; but
such is the case, and this accounts for the
further strange tact that there is no way OF
ascertaining the exact quantity OF school
lands now uDsold or the exact quantity sold.
In round numbers, the original amount Of
land credited TO the common school fund
was 3,000,0c0 acres; so far as can be ascer-
tanned, about 10000 acres have been cold
and about 2j0,0o0 acres patented, leaving
about 2,250,C10 acres OF school lands yet to
be disposed of. The case Is different with
land belonging TO the State university, nor.
ma! school and agricultural college funds.
For the past two years it cost something
over $4,000 to sell the lands belonging to
common school fund that were sold--say
$4,000 per year. As the years go on and the
sales increase, the cost will increase also, to
$4,000, 22,G00.and so on per year, while un.
der the provisions of the Sluss bill, this
work will not. or at least ought not to cost
more than 5000 per year. by the present
method OF appraisement the value of the
land is always put low, while by the method
of appraisement in this bill the appraiser
not being an Immediately interested party,
will fix the prices OF the lands at least sOme-
where near 'the figures they are actually
worth. As the law is now, no school lands
whatever can be sold unless twenty land
holders OF the vicinity give their consent.
Should they happen to want it for grazing
or other pun poees they naturally would not
give their consent to its sale. Should they
desire its sale, the usual method is to have
three appraisers appointed from among their
own number, and they would naturally put
the valuation low for the benefit OF the party
purchasing, who would doubtless be one of
their own number.
The possibility Of Kansas schools is GER
tainly dazzling. The fund now amounts to
over 50 ,000, 800, and there are, in round num-
bers, 2,225, 600 acres of land belonging to
the fund remaining unsold. These lands
ought 10 be worth, by any sort of fair ap-
praisment, five dollars per acre and should
they all be sold this would amount to Sl1,-
$4,000, or si3, 125.0o0 for the whole fund. 1t
is not The desire, however, to sell tho entire |
amount Of school lands at once, for there
would be no means Of investing the money,
as there is now 5000 belonging 10 the |
common school fund for which there Is no |
and this large sum therefore |
lies in the State tereasury idle and useless. |
The Sluss bin does not require payment OF
anything more tEan the interest upon the |
purchase money inside of twenty years,
and by that time some means will doubtless
have been adopted for the safe investment
,f the fund, which will have amounted to
,ollosal fortune-nomething near 800, 900, 900.
Large as the fund is now, it does not provide
or more than 70 cents for each child OF
chool age, SO that the necessity for doing
to increase the amount paid to
he various counties is very apparent. In
ACT, the amount received from the fund
mounts TO but drop in the bucket when
he expense OF each county for the educa-
ion OF IFS children is taken into consIdera.
ion. and the problem at the present time is,
low to derive the greatest benefit from the
l.. oh, in fax ,uil vfa l
ught to, revenue to the State Of over
Il ,OOO,0 Even under the present clumsy
nd imperfect system of selling the lands,
be school fund is increasing at the rate Of
200, 900 per year.--Capitdt. .ps