The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-17

most vaissbss Iasds a tAs stsAs have bssn
hstd Eoe yasn snd csoppsd With lmmsass
profit % ieasss rangsng fro2 III 20 "a
cents IN ssrG
When "a 60 leases vsss Issued no record
vas msds OF the fact beyond shs misatss
a. ~ ecsmissisness' msssings, nov loss
o. destroyed. The nn0nsys usfs applied
10 most easss - no one could now ascef-
tain. Hasing made fisst peymsss under .
lsass. ssy:for i've years, il VS. the custom
in some quarters. on . sort Of tacit under
staading 9Th the commissioners for the
Iessss TO Fay nothing thereafter. bat TO re-
main In profitable occupation Of the land.
OF courSs. In . grost many instances the
Isssess Became vurchassss Of the land. but
trace has already been obtained Of many
occupants who have, through Irregular
payments and eommon understanding.
remained in possessions.
When t.se state laws came In force IN
effort seesas 20 have besn mads in some Of
the counties to establish Lease records. but
In . few, il any eases. did the auditors
wholly succeed. Is seems that the only
thing approaching . perfect record thus
far procured By the board 10 from spokane
county. where Auditor Peel went 20 the
length Of making personsi investigation
Of the entire subject. and Of ascersaining
for himsaf the occupancy Of every fraS.
msut Of tie public lands In tAat county.
One Of the first steps taken By the board
Vas in thx direction Of doing for the state
what NJ. Peel has done for Spoksne
county, hat from the evidence Of the state
Of Affairs thus far obtained. il 10 apparent
that In sns case Of many counties the
board VIII have to finally resort 70 per-
sonal inqairy In order 10 attain the result
desircd. The auditors, in most instances,
express IA entire willingness 10 assist the
board In ihe matter. but At the same time
avow the.r want Of ps rsonal knoviedge ~
10 the cofsdition of the lands leased.
In the Ease OF Columbia county. for ex-
ample. tae auditor admits that public
lands ieased In previous pears - high ~
100 qnsrter section, are under cuttiva-
ton and Being cropped without compen-
sation &C. the state. The Same Is true Of
many other farming counties, while in the
case Of heavily timbsrsd counties it il
undsrsto,sd that land leases have been
oftsn ussi - prstext for despoiiing the
state property Of it, valuable timber.
HsreaiseS lessses may reckon ON being
held % strict accountability Tor any dep
relations committed by themselves under
their leases.
The board has besn bssiegsd By the in
Quisies Of lessees Who are fearful of losing
their am provements under the new Law.
and . ciTsular lettsr hes been issued by the
secretary rsassuring Thorn. II seems that
the leases hitherto entered into contained
expresses stipulations that Improvements
Of whaSever kind, including fencing.
put upGa leased land became the
property of the state. whether the
lsass expired BY lapse Of time or for any
other reason. Until recently the majority
Of the leSssss appeared not 20 have been
aware that they had made any such ex-
prsssed agreement, which must result
practically In confiscation Of property. the
value Of which the Law should no doubt
just ssnt out 70 the county auditors II in
tended 10 quiet these doubts. II says:
THE neg land commission Law. paused by
the last Legislature and approved March
Is. 1898. which called the present board
into existence. IL very clear on this point.
Section 81 expressly provides that all Inn
provements placed upon any land Of the
state pripr to the taking effect Of this act
found OILS the land 1t the time of the ap-
praisemsnt shall b appraised. so, too,
does IL provide that all damage and waste
20 the land shalt b. appraised. II the
value OF the improvements exceeds the
amount At which the damage and waste is
estimated the purchaser Of the land must
within t,,irty days from the day Of sale
pay the difference to the owner of the i'm
provemen:s."
tits gwen out that the policy Il the
board respecting leases will Be to preserve
the integrity Of those already entered into.
without taking advantage Of anything
technically In favor Of forfeiture or abro-
CATION. 10 ~ TO protect citizens who have
acted in: good faith. while insisting that the
state educational fund shall derive the
greatest. possible revenue from the tenn
porary use OF the public lands. No lease
will be granted in the future at less than
10 cents AN acre. and the method of leas-
Ing wills insure ~ much publicity and
competition as that Of the sale Of land.
At four stated intervals each year the
board VIII consider applications for leases.
The applicant will DO required TO describe
accurately the character of the soil, capa-
bilities :of the land and the purpose for
which it is desired. Immediately upon
opening the bids in each instance
the coEnty auditor will be requested
to poss in his Office for thirty
days d. notice in effect that such
bids are on file at the Office of the
board 81 state land commissioners. The
thirty DAYS are allowed 70 enable any
citizen who chooses to forward a competi-
tive bid, Thirty days from the regularly
assisne,s date for opening the bids. as Y i'll
be provided In the rules soon to be issued
the boasd will then pass upon the several
bids ansi award To the highest bidder. In
the mesatime. the secretary will endeayos
To assssrtain through correspondence
whethes the original bidder has described
the lan;i in good faith SO that the board
NAV acs with full Judgment
From the plan already devised respect
ing thif feature in the land commission
dcpartsaent il is apparent that the state is
destined 10 derive great benefit. because
for the frs, time IL may he said Wash.
iugton will have an established system o,
public sands leases.
News OF Whaiers ana seaiera
NtcraRis. b. G.. Juiy ia-fSpeeia, l.
III Nj =. <ymphe which hS. inst arr;v.l