The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-04-04
THE BOARDS POWERS.
Features of the Bill Creating a State
Land Commission.

bill No. 361 provides for the disposition
of the states lands and creates a board
OF state land commissioners, composed of
the commissioner of public lands, who
shall be chairman, and two other MEM
bers, to be appointed by the governor
and confirmed by the senate, and hold
Office for two years. This board is
granted full supervision under the law
OF all public lands granted the state,
and provision is made for the selection,
survey, management, lease and DISPOSE
ton of the state lands. The commits
sioners are to receive $4,000 per annum,
and the board is authorized to expend
not more than $1,000 per annum for
clerical work. This board is made the
successor in all respects of the old board
of land commissioners, and also succeeds
to all the duties of the tide-land APP
praisers under the old law.
Under this new act all state lands, ex-
cept coal lands and such lands as shall
be in whole or in part within the limits
of any incorporated city, and appraised
at not more than 500 per acre, or with
in two miles of such limits, shall be sold
on the following terms:
One tenth to be paid on the day of
sale, One-tenth annually thereafter on
March l !; all deferred payments to draw
& per cent.
Coal lands not within the limits of in
corporated cities and towns or within
two miles thereof shall be sold in tracts
of not less than sixteen acres on the fol-
lowing terms: One-tenth cash and the
balance within five days thereafter.
Tracts of common school or granted
lands, in whole or in part in incorpor-
ated towns, shall be sold on the follow
ing terms: One-tenth cash, one tenth
on the first day of March following sale,
and one-tenth annually on the first day
of March; deferred payments to draw
per cent. Coal, timber, stone and min
erals, if sold separately from the land,
shall be for cash to the highest bidder,
in lots not exceeding 100 acres for tim
Der and ten acres for stone or mineral.
The time for making the payments
provided for in this act, except in cases
where this act prescribes cash payments,
may be extended for three years or less
by the board on satisfactory showing,
but no extension shall be granted for
the payment of principal, unless the in
terest on the whole sum due and unpaid
be first paid, and not more than one ex-
tension on the same contract.
The board shall have power to lease
school lands for term not to exceed
five years and all applications for such
lease must be accompanied by certified
check equal in amount to the first years
rDnto1 ha y,o1o for
commencing on the first days of Janu-
airy, April, July and October; Applica-
tions for lease must be filed with the
board at least thirty days prior to the
several dates mentioned.
Improvements made upon granted
lands by lessees from the state, in cases
in which the lessee yields his lease to
the state prior to any application to
purchase the land, such as are capable
of removal without in jury to the land
may be removed by the original lessee,
or at his option may remain, subject to
payment, in accordance with law. by
any subpayment purchaser within
term of three years.
Whenever there shall be in the state
school fund, applicable to Investment,
the sum of $1,000 or more, the land COM
mission may invest the same IN nation,
al, state, county, municipal or school
district bonds at rate no less than 0
per cent, or in warrants drawn upon the
state.
All appraisements of granted lands
heretofore made under existing laws,
where sales have not been made, are an
nulled. 1t is the duty of the board to
survey, plat and appraise tide lands OF
the first class not already appraised,
except in cases where local boards have
already entered upon the work; IN
which case they shall complete their
labors forthwith. In surveying tide
lands of the first class the board shall
lay out streets and alleys and dedicate
the same to the public, subject to the
control of cities, with due regard to the
convenience of commerce.
All such thoroughfares heretofore To-
Gated are validated. When the board
shall have prepared plats showing all
shore and tide lands surveyed and ap-
praised they shall deposit copy of the
record and plat with the county auditor
and one copy shall be kept in the office
of the commissioners of public lands.
Due notice by advertising shall be given
of the filing of the plats, and any per-
son claiming preference right to pur-
chase and feeling aggrieved at the ap-
praisement of any certain lot may,
within sixty days after the filing OF
plats, appeal from such appraisement to
the superior court of the county in which
the lands are situated. Auditing own
ers upon tide lands of the first class have
a sixty-day right to apply for purchase:
When an abutting owner has attempted
to convey to bona fide purchaser any
portion of the tide lands in front of such
uplands the right of purchase shall be
construed to belong to such purchaser.
In case persons heretofore mentioned do
not make application to purchase within
the time allowed the tide lands to which
they have prior right, the same shall
be open to public sale. After notice by
advertising of such sale each subdivision
shall be sold separately to the highest
and best bidder, and each purchaser
shall deposit with his bid sum equal
in amount to the first payment. No bid
shall be accepted unless it equals or ex-
ceeds the appraised value of the land.
If, sixty days after any person shall
have filed his application to purchase.
there are no conflicting claims, the ap-
plicant shall be deemed to have the
right to purchase. In case of conflict
due investigation shall be made by the
board. Any person having valuable
improvements on tide lands, and which
tide lands were appraised prior to July
l. 1894, by the local boards may apply
for purchase and reappraisement.
Potatoes Shipped East.