Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-01-17
TIDE LANDS.
A Reasonable Hope that the Vexed
Question Will Soon be Settled.

Question Will Soon be Settled.
The special House Committee on
tide lands met last week. Chair
man Moultray presented a bill, which
is in the main satisfactory to a ma
jority of the members. Clark holds
that owners OF land contiguous to tide
land have equitable rights to tide
lands. The Others do not agree in
this. Moultray, Judson of Pierce and
Clark, agree that the State has right
to sell the tide lands, but Purdy is
doubtful on this point.
Moultray's bill divides al the tide
lands into three classes, the first of
which is land upon which improve
ments have been made; second, those
which have been surveyed and plated,
but which do not contain improve
ments; third, all other tide lands. All
land between ordinary and low tide is
declared to be shore land and the
property of the State, shall not be dis
posed of except as stated in article IL,
section 9 Of the constitution, wherein
the State disclaims all title to tide,
swamp, and overflowed lands patented
by the United States. Permanent and
valuable improvements on land OF the
first-class consist only of substantial
buildings built in good faith for the
purpose of business. The reputed
owner of any property included in the
lot shall have prior right of purchase
Shore land included in the second
class shall be appraised and sold at
public auction on the first Mondays in
February, May. August and Novem-
ber. No bid shall be received for less
than the appraised value; provided,
that land of the third-class adjoining
cities and towns, when found to be
worth more than 5000 per acre, shall
be put in class 2 and sold, having
first been plated to conform with the
plat of the city which it adjoins; and
provided further, that owners of valu-
able improvements shall have the
same rights as reputcd owners of land
of the first-class
Shore lands OF the third-class lying
near cities, when found to be worth
more than $50 an acre, shall be sold
at public auction in tracts of not less
than one acre. Where mills, factories,
ETC., have been built upon lands of the
third-class not contiguous to cities
the owner shall have prior right oi
purchase. All shore lands to which
prior right of purchase has been given
must be purchased within six months
after the date of notice that they are
for sale. If not, they will be put in
class two and sold, with their improve
ments. All sales shall be made by
application to the Secretary OF State.
To carry out the provisions of the
bill, four Boards of Appraisers shall
be appointed by the Governor, and
shall have jurisdiction as follows
First, King. Pierce, Thurston and Ma.
son counties; second, Kitsap, Jeffer
son, Clallam and San Juan; third
Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish and
Island; fourth, Chehalis and Pacific.
The appraisers shall have power to ap-
praise the value of the land only and
give the reputed owners a certificate
of prior claim. They must plat the
land and file the plats with the Secre-
retary of State.
Clark has rough draft of bill. II
gives the owner of land abutting tide
fats the right for six months to pur-
chase such lands, and if he has made
permanent Improvements he shall
have exclusive right to purchase for
six months. Where the reputed owner
of the upland has attempted to give a
deed to any tide land, the pre-emptive
right shall be vested irf the grantee
The commissioner of public land is to
make the sales and supervise improve
ments.