The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-01-03
TOLD BY BIERMANN

TOLD BY BIERMANN
MINNEsOTA's STATE AUDITOR IS
SUES A REPORT.
He Reviews the Work of Els Office
and Makes Recommendations to
the LeSislnture-The Sale of swamp
| Lands Discussed.
st. Paul, Dec. 20. Etate Auditor
! Biermann, in his biennial report,
| gives the state some advice on guard
ing what is left of it's wealth of tim
Der. He says the law should require
that examiners give bonds for the
faithful performance OF their duties,
and that examination be made from
actual view and in detail, in tracts
not larger than forty acres. These re-
ports, should be verified by affidavit
of the examiner A minimum price
Fer thousand feet for virgin white
pine should be fixed at S., and for in
ferior qualities not less than $1.50.
permits to cut pine timber" says
the auditor, Should not be given for
term longer than two years, and ex-
tension beyond that period rarely, if
| ever. 1t should be within the power
| Of the state land commissioner to
cause all cuttings being done to be ex-
| amined and scaled under oath, indie
pendent of the scaling Of the deputies
of the surveyor general Of logs, at
least twice during the cutting. In
this way errors, whether accidental or
not, could be guarded against and the
state assured Of fair treatment. All
logs cut should be marked with a bark
mark duly recorded in the name Of
the state, and this mark should hot
be allowed to be used but for the logs
from one section or tract being cut
and landed at any particular landing.
The deputies Of the several surveyors
general should be placed under bonds
and their report verified by affidavit.
All bills from the surveyor general for
scaling should be filed in this Office by
April 1 Of each year, and all stump
age should be made due on May 4,
If not paid at that time penalty, say
Of 5 per cent, should Immediately ac7
crue, with interest from date of del
linquency."
|
He finds from the records Of the
state land Office and from other
sources that the state has suffered
great loss in the disposition of swamp
lands granted by congress. Redress
should be sought, he says, either from
the secretary of the interior or through
congress. He continues:
Under the law of 1889 regulating
the sale and lease of mineral and 9TH
er lands belonging to the state, 2,0S5
prospective leases and 331 mining con-
tracts have been executed. Naturally,
much Of the land covered by these
leases has been Abandoned, so far as
the search Of mineral is concerned,
and, in some cases, the annual pay
ments due the state under CONTRACT re-
main unpaid. Where the abandon
ment Of the land embraced in these
contracts is Conclusively shown the
contract has been sometimes Cancelled,
and new issues have been allowed to
be filed. The mining of iron ore on
state land has been reduced to the
product from one Quarter-section Of
| land, and if the, sentiment prevailing
among operators that the royalty exA
acted by the state is too high isl
worthy Of attention, submit it to
you for such consideration as you may
deem for the best interests of the
state"
The taxable valuation Of all property
on the lists Of 1898 was, in round
numbers, $643, 100000. That for the
tax of 1894 will show an increase. In
his opinion conservative estimate Of
the taxable value of all property in the
state for the tax lists of 1894 would
be $3.50, 100000: That for the 1895 and
1896 lists at $660,O0O,O00 and $67O,OOO,-
COO respectively.
| A tax commission. whose duty it
shall be to codify the somewhat in
| volved laws is q growing necessity. he
says.
The auditor suggests the considera-
ton Of some plan to enlarge the scope
of powers of the commissioners for
the investment Of moneys SO that loans
may be made to municipal corpora.
tons within the state
In the matter of selections of lands
to which the state is entitled under
this head, this office has been under a
disadvantage and the interests of the
state languish for want of money. 1t
seems to me that an appropriation
made for the continuance of examina-
| ton of lands in the interest of the
state institutions grant of swamp
lands might we'll be made applicable
to the selection Of indemnity school
lands conformity.
The permanent university fund now
amounts to $l,O34, 0O7.05, an increase
of $333, 621.32 since my last report, and
will, in all probability, grow to amount
to $1,500000.