The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-12

Salary of chief clerk..-..-.-.....-... SaeS %
Extra clertcaI assistance. 2g5 90
Incidental expenses. 20 ~
Postage $50 90
Advertising sale OF tide Hands,. 20 Is
For procuring plats and abstracts
of entries, etc........-...,.-...-... Iuu W
Total .si2, 457 50
"Note: OF the ss,s23. Is, charged above
as salary of engineer. 81. i2s2s is properly
chargeable TO the state board of land
commissioners for the reason said en-
gineer was employed by said board Au-
gust T. 1888 and was engaged wholly In
the work of said board until May l. 1894.
Statement of money received from the
sale of granted and tide lands sold under
the provisions of this act. approved
March Is. 1888. up to March !. 1895:
Received from the sale Of school
Received from the sale of tide
lands ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1880 ID
Total .xZh,ul3 W
I'VE find that the various public lands
have been sold almost entirely upon the
installment plan provided In the various
land acts. by which one-tenth Is paid
down and contracts or notes given Tor
deferred payments. 40 that the actual
cash received amounts to but little over
one-teath of the total value OF the lands
sold Under the school land act extern
sions of time have been made in very
many cases upon proper application
therefor. Under the tide land act there
appears 10 be no method OF enforcing
payment or FORGETTING the contracts This
should be remedied. and we would
further suggest as an important matter
to be corrected In the tide land act that
there is now no method of enforcing
contested cases which are pending in the
superior courts TO be heard. Many APP
peals that were taken from the old board
OF equalization and appeal to the super
Tor courts are still pending in such courts
owing 10 the indisposition of the parties
interested 10 prosecute the same. and we
recommend that provision should be
made requiring all such cases TO be
prosecuted within reasonable length of
time. and In cases of refusal or neglect
so to do the various applicants for the
purchase of such tide lands should Re
held In have forfeited their rights thereto.
I'VE desire also TO report that prior TO
the creation Of the present board of state
land commissioners under the law whi.h
then existed school lands were leased by
the various county commissioners and
usually at very nominal sums. We have
ascertained that the present board have
actually increased these same rentals TO
| the amount Of some si5.00 which is
| clearly an item or gain and saving TO
| the state over the old system.
I'VE might say generally that we have
| found and believe the facts 10 be, that
| Il Ia against good business policy and
| the states interests 10 intrust the handt-
| Ing OF the lands TO any extent TO the
| county commissioners. or such boards
who may only have local interest there
| in. We find that tn many cases she vari-
| Gus county commissioners have leased
| school lands. collected rents therefron,
and turned the same into their own
| 10
| any counting therefor TO the state. To
/ Just what extent this has been done there
/ Is no means OF nscertatuing except by an
/ Investigation OF the minutes. proceed
| ings and business OF the county commits
/ sioners OF each county In the state MANY
| of them not only refused 10 make any
/ accounting OF sueh transactions bat also
| refused 20 give any information concern
/ ing che same. This matter should be
| thoroughly investigated and the different
/ counties compelled TO make settlement
| with the state.
| Another very important matter 10 the
| state Is ,he matter Of iepredasioas aud
! trespassing upon school lands has
/ much as there WAS no appropriation made
| To prosecute such Offenders and trespaxs-
! erS the board has heen helpless TO PRO-
( ss,t the lands from srespass, ard Tits
/ matter should certainly be provided for
/ as II Is of the utmost Importance, espe-
/ state should Re protected from aerresia-
! ticns- The hoard has also been hanai-
/ capped In the matter 81 contexttng claims
/ Cor selected lands where contests have
arisen between the state and individuals
! over the same. fer the reason thar nc
: money was appropriated 20 ray for this
! work This IS an item that IN our opinion
( should not ee overlooked, as IL would en-
+ able the state 20 save many valuable
/ pieces ef land IL IL had TIRE power 30 carry
{ on fhe contests IN the land ofslces An
/ ether exceedingly important matter that
{ should be provided for Is that OF spxrn-
! prsstinE SUFFICIENT moneys 20 BE- ussd hy
the beard an making surveys Of new
( townships Under the recent sc; 81 cor
] gress ths state may. by advancing the
/ money therefor. survey any new town
I ship gor the purpose % rFfAkins selections
( cf lands therein. upon the condition that
! the government WIZ refund the money
advanced fer such surveys The only
possible loss - the state Ia such sYansac-
tsozS would he the interest on the money
advanced, and This would he insignificant