The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-08-09
The States School Heritage.

Rep rts having come to the Board
Of State Land Commissioners about
trespass and timber cutting on school
lands in various parts of the state,
the board has issued the following cir
cular letter to county superintendent
and the press
The board of state land commits
sioners, with the Endorsement and ap-
proval of the honorable superintend-
ent of public instruction, desires 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 we'll 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 Eastern Washington, the chief
value of school lands in this state is
in the timbered lands of Western
Washington.
During territorial days some OF the
best school land in the state has been
logged off. In the absence of fores-
try guardianship of any kind in the
state, the practice of logging on
school lands has undoubtedly con-
tinued and is still going on, and we
are certain that petty t1espass on the
part OF settlers is practiced-practic'
ed by the very men who should be the
most vigilent protectors of all that
would add to the school fund out Of
which their children are being anC
will continue to be educated.
At the last session of the Legislature
an act was passed vesting the manage
ment, lease and disposition of state
lands in the board of state landcom
missioners, at Olympia.
1t is perhaps we'll to state here TO
your information that no person
whatever are properly concerned will
school or other lands except the stat
board of land commissioners and thei
duly authorized employees and subor
dinates.
The land act provides Session law
=, of 1895, chapter ITS, sections 81, 90
. 1917 that any person, firm, corpora
ton or association cutting or remoy
! ing or causing to be removed any tim
! Der growing upon any state lands, Q
= manufacturing the same into log
bolts, shingles, lumber or other art
Giles for domestic use or commerce
shall be liable to the state for trebl
the value Of. the timber or articles S
e cut or removed, and shall forfeit a
s interest in and to the article int
, which the timber is manufactured
V further, that such persons, upon cor
e viction; shall be punished by fine c
:. imprisonment, or by both, not e.
O ceeding one year in Jail and 1,00'
@ Further, it is the duty of the stat
is board OF land commissioners to il
IS vestigate all cases of trespass an
is damage on school lands and to pros,
g cute the same.
d We therefore call on you as GOO
: and patriotic citizens, charged wit
II the most serious and delicate respor
d sibillty, that of care of the educatio
d of the children of the state, that 70
" will also act as the volunteer prote,
l. tors OF that upon which the educatio
l. OF the children chiefly depends, t.
= wit, the land which the state holds j
trust for them. Let your school d
l. rector know, and through them Il
It the children know, that no one has
Y right to rob them of their heritage. {
o some mlscreants are now doing.
It may seem trifling to cut cordwOo
Is for example, from school sections. BIT
e there are sections which have bee
20 nearly denuded of timber by sue
procedure, to the states loss. Le
10 them know that the legal status
# every person going on a school Sc,
# tlon, using 1T, OF removing anythin
,r from 1t, should be carefully inquire
= INTO, and if it does not clearly anne,
70 that such persons are bona fde lessee
70 or purchasers they should be reporte
10 at once to the state board, with
n statement OF names, dates and place
and OF witnesses willing to testify VIII
VIII enable the state board properly t
investigate and prosecute.
If we shall receive your hearty G,
y operation the result should be to say
.. to the state school fund manv thon
a ands OF dollars. Respectfully sui
mitted,
;, BOARD OF STATE LAND COMMISSIONERS
Il LIE logging business is still on til