Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-08-02
PROTECTION OF SCHOOL LANDS
Some Suggestions by the State Land
Commission.


Commission.
The State Land Commission has adj
dressed TO the county school superin
tendents of this State the following
letter, prepared 10y commissioner Brain.
erd:
Reports having come to the board
OF state land commissioners from
superintendent OF schools, that
l. They have heard reports of tres
pass on school lands and therefore ask
instructions as to their duties in the
matter, and
:. That they have themselves author
lied persons to cut fire wood for them
selves or for school district use:
Therefore the board of state land
commissioners, with the endorsement
and approval of the honorable superin-
tendent of school instruction, desire to
call your attention to the law, and to
the following facts, and to ask your
hearty and cheerful cooperation with
US, and that you will call for the help
OF school district officers and teachers.
AS you are well aware the income of
the schools is derived from the sale
and lease of school lands. With the
exception of lands in the wheat belt of
Of eastern Washington the chief value
of school lands in this State is in the
timbered lands of Western Washing
ton.
During territorial days some of the
best school lands in the State has been
logged off. In the absence of forestry
guardianship of any kind in the State
the practice of logging on school lands
has undoubtedly continued and is still
going on, and are certain that petty
trespass on the part of settlers is
practiced by the very men who owe
most to the common schools and who
should be the most vigilant protectors
of all that would be aid to the school
fund out OF which their children are
being and will continue to be educated.
At the last session OF the legislature
an act was passed vesting the manage
ment, lease and disposition of the
states lands in the board of state land
COHlHllSSiOneTs, III olympia.
1t is perhaps we'll to state here for
your information that no persons what
ever are properly concerned with school
or other lands except the state board of
land commissioners and their duly au-
thOrized employees and subordinates.
The land act provides session laws
1895, chapter IT'S, sections, 81. SO, l0l)
that any person, firm, corporation or
association cutting or removing or
causing to be removed any timber
growing upon any state lands, or manu-.
featuring the same into logs, bolts,
shingles, lumber or other articles for
domestic use or commerce shall be IL
able to the State for treble the value of
the timber or articles SO cut or re.
moved, and shall forfeit all interest in
and to the article into which the tim
Der is manufactured; further that such
persons, upon conviction shall be pun
ished by fine or imprisonment, or by
both, not exceeding one year in Jail
and $1,000. Further it is the duty Of
the state board of land commissioners
to investigate all cases of trespass and
damage on school lands and to prose-
cute the same.
We therefore call on you as good
patriotic citizens. charged with the
most serious aud delicate responsibility,
that of care Of the education of the
children of the State, that you will act
as the volunteer protectors of that
upon which the education of the
children chiefly depends, to-wit; the
land which the state holds in trust for
them. Let your school directors know,
and through them let the children
know, that no one has right to rob
them OF their heritage, as some
miscresnts are now doing. 1t may
seem tritiing to cut cordwocd, for ex-
ample, from school land, but there are
sections which are nearly denuded Of
timber by such procedure to the States
loss. Let them know that the legal
status OF every person going on school
section, using it, or removing anything
from it. should be carefully inquired
into, and If it does not clearly appear
that such persons are bona fde lesses
or purchasers, they should be reported
at once to the staia board with state
ment of names. Yates and places and
OF witnesses willing to testify who will
enable the State board properly to in
vestigate and prosecute.
If we shall receive your hearty CO.
operation the result should be to save
to the state school fund many
thousands of dollars"