The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-29

This Years Approprfstioa-Lstter From
Surveyor General WsEsen-

OLYMPIA. Aug. 5, 1884
To TIE EprToR: Regarding the appro-
priArion for the survey Of our public
DOMAIN a. one Of grez; interss. 20 this
state. which yet contains I- 9zi.60S acres
% rn.urveyed land. s.52S. ss3 acres OF
which is occupied By bona rde settlers
clamoring for surveys 20 enable them 10
comp ess their titles. / thought that an
abstract Of what has been done IN this
matter ~ the present session Of congress
would be Of interest 20 your readers
throughout this state.
The appropriations for public surveys
are made by congress In bulk for the entire
United States. and the apportionment 10
each state il made By the interior depart
ment from this lump sum according 10 the
necessities Of the various states
The appropriation for this year is $780,
600 for she entire United States. which Is
greater By sI75. 600 than than that for the
last nscai year. which was only 500. COO
Besides the bill for this year has IN II
very valuable feature that those for the
past years have not had in them, that Is,
authority is given to the governors OF
those states having land grants from the
general government 10 have such sur
veyed as fast as they wish. the cost OF the
surveys being AZ once reimbursed to
such states as soon rs they make selection.
Under this the state Of Washington can
select and dispose of her princely grant Of
632 600 acres as fast as she chooses TO adj
vance the money for the survey of such.
which. il will be seen. is merely an advance
and not an outright outlay. One hundred
and Twenty-Five thousand dollars Of this
1915. 900 Is to be used for the survey OF
lands lying within the limits OF the grants
TO certain railroads, which is to be reim-
bursed TO the government This $l23 900
is made permanent or continuous fund.
for ss soon as the cost of the surveys, pay
able from said fund, is reimbursed to the
government by the railroads, such amounts
are Immediately returned 20 this So. 600
fund TO be used in the prosecution OF adj
ditionai surveys.
II the past ratio of apportionment of
this $4,000 appropriation is adhered TO
the state should get S45 900 or $50. 900 for
the prosecution of the public surveys.
1t should be very gratifying to this state
to know that for this very liberal appro-
priation, considering the depressed condi-
tion of the pubic finances, We are very
largely indebted TO the able and unremit-
ting efforts of our senator, Hon. w. G.
Squire, through whose efforts the house
bill vas 80 materially raised In the senate
and afterward in the conference OF the two
houses being almost doubled. To him is
also largely due the fact that the office of
surveyor general has much needed larger
appropriation for clerical help and ex-
penses than in any previous year. being
81, 500 more than last year; for his able
efforts helped to raise this bill IN the sem
ate very materially over that OF the house
bill. This is a very good showing for a
Democratic congress from which our Re-
publican friends claim we are to expect
little in the way of such appropriations.
/ am glad in this public manner to ex-
press TO the people of this state the obliga-
ton Of the department of which 1 have
control TO the honorable senator of our
state. and my personal belief that, If we
are TO have Republican senator, which I
hope and believe the Democrats through
out the state can and wall prevent, that
the people cannot be better served than by
one who has shown himself as jealous and
watchful of the interests of our state as the
Hon. w. G. Squire.
l append hereto table which may be
of interest to the people OF the state. This
made ahead Of the actual needs of the set.
tiers, In this state at least, as is often
claimed by opponents OF this appropria-
ton. for 30 per cent. Of even its unsuryeyed
lands are occupied by bona fide settlers,
while 70 per cent. Of its surveyed lands are
60 occupied.
The appropriations for the public sur
veys are not like those for some other
purposes. but are more in the nature OF
loans, sure to be speedily returned to the
general government. for the entire re-
ceipts of the general land office from the
sale Of its public lands each year exceeds
the entire disbursements by several MILL
ion dollars, of which receipts the state of
Washington contributed the largest of
any state in the Union for the year 1898.
WILLIAM T. WATSON,
United States Surveyor General.
Statement of surveyed and unsurveyed