The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-18
THEIR WORK Is DONE
Dves 100000 Acres ~ GRANTED Lad
s~Iected-Csst Of Appraisal and
heard shsuIa Ne Consolidatsd
with That Of Conaissfsass.

OLYMPIA, Dec. n.-sp<x.i.--Tne b.
su,asaa report ~ the state hand commits
asou = n substance - follows.
Since its erxanix~Ncn tise board ess
"a regular sessions covering III working
aavs or Of . total of SO In addition 90
e4rs regular seasons TIE srs1tvsd2s4 Ezesn-
b~rs Of the board have sat - special con-
suttae>a. conducted scGooa ard tide land
aalas IA &c several coxsntisz, sxamiaea
arA aeprazss6 schocl. tide ard shore
saudx. had hearnxs Of protests on valta-
ZION e tide ard shore sands. examined
Al sssscsed lands IN place for tDe state.
unade personal investigation Of fTssp@ss
eases. ard carried On detail work. insoss-
fnx asuen time and ia-or ouLss1e OF me
reru;sr nnsseInss. This seeretaTy's onace
20 seuf cut s.s55 letters and notices. ex-
clueve of routine blank supplies, ana
hss rssSsvse and answered Eats letters on
ard matters: Liza acres Of school lana
tsAvs bssn appraised. and over ssvos acres
eold, at an average sale price psF acre O.
- ~.
usnk a<xoa OF the board. established rates
n scsaooi land leases at 80 oeDs per All
u,1ru for AGRICULTURAL izEdSs leaving the
ra1es for grazing and "scaD' lands op>n
for regulation by the board Jha result
has been tina. the average annual lease
price per acre has bsen raised from less
MAN 10 cents per acre 70 81 cents Nearly
q go acres have been leased, ard tne rev
syus. az ffas state Increased at the rate
II ever N,soe az compared WITH leases OF
lss-ss.
>erman<nf ssisooI fund Ia state WARRANTS.
6f shls they say;
ssThe net increase in revenue 20 the
achoci fund on investment IN warrants or
honda has BEEN th9 difference In interest
ar the average bond rate OF 81 per cent,
and the warrant rate 81 : PEI csnt. Per
annuu or an increase Of &.sD IN the cur
rent school fund: in fact We may claim
chat inasmuch as the board had found u
fmposssf,le 70 buy bonds, and the pcrslzl-
emf fund was lying Idle ana increasing
without interest. the state has really made
8 Der eent on over SzDa. 600. as bat few
county bonds have been issued or offered
fu the pas TWO years.
.-The board has investigated nineteen
cases Of trnspaEs reported 70 II. has caused
actions to be begun in eight cases, and
has secured three convictions. besides re-
covering 10 the state $500 In cash, a.
the value OF tifnbs removed by Tres
passers."
over 500. 900 worth OF nrst-ciaas land has
been sold. In the cities OF Seattle and Ia
coma. Ia order 10 avoid imposing upon APP
pi:caEts the great expense and delays of
bringing witnesses TO Olympia a docket
fee was arbitrarily charged with the as
scnt OF ths applicants. 10 cover the cost
OF tae boards attendance. s57i-3 were
turned into the treasury from this source.
Twenfy-eighs oyster land conflicts were
nled, five hearings were heid. 1gs piats ex-
amlned and s.0ss. 60 WORTH OF land sold.
Out OF 6z2 600 acres % be selected. 5ls.-
tse "a acres have bean selected. 81, $40 acres
Of which have been approved 81 tia Sec
retary OF thu interior. and in adj
datlon Us, 10 acres havs been Sc
cured on unsurveyed townships. which
81 -
The surveys ars made. for which provision
has been made. This makes total OF
es7. H0ss acr~s. or S.si0s acres in excess
of the grant. a margin which "a necessary
30 cover selections rejsossd by TIE score
tary Of the antersor for divers reasons.
The average value per aors selected.
whas.h rose from psoS IN iss2 70 siofo ia
1854 was 81 10 IN isos: sae values for tim
Ter land beng based on IS to 80 cents per
1850 feet for first -oiass timber. whiic the
coat OF cruising. sssecunx and making rss-
crvations which in iss2 VAS 10 cents per
acre. has been in 1855 redgsced 20 e,s
cents. or Reduction OF nearly 20 per cent.
The total value OF the selections tnaae Is
estimated af s. s0t, Tes.s9.
Ia conclusion thu board says Il has now
practically completed its work.
I'VE haye selected ali the granted lands
remaining 10 be selected, over 30 90 acres.
raising the value OF the lands secured dur
mx our t~fm OF Office ofsf ~ Der cent,
and reducing the cost 81 their selection
nearly ~ per cent We have reduced ths
cost OF appraisal Of school lands nearly n
per cent. and have caused an increase ia
the annual revenue or nearly twice "a
much a. the combined salaries 0f the
members OF the board. We asv@ disposed
OF the applications 70 purchase siraf-ciass
tida lands without meeting legal obstacle
from any person. we have disposed OF
nearly 1.o0o legal contests. and have had
less than Ton appeals. the majority Of
these by railroad corporations. We have
haaily established AL Of the hsrher lins
areas without legal opposition bY any per-
son. The work of selling lands. 81 appFev-
o. az second ard ihird class tide land riats
granting school land leases. q answer.
tng questions as to Rdmini8tra tian, which
are the chief subjects tefs fog the board
are matters Of petty detail which taie com,
missioner 81 pubic ianes should hs allow.
ed 10 pass upon without any deisy IN
proceeding Tire conesttt ton requires fhai
aHds offered for sale be apprs bsed hv 4
board of three members. this e. the on,
reason Tor retaining the beard a. at pres,
eat constituted. We suggest that . ths
anlce Of cruiser Be retained that thn an
praisais snd sucsa pgAts as the law mas
require may be made hy him and approved
hy board 60 consist OF the commission.
or at public lands, and any two Of shs
state efficers. az the work ~ best viii ~
ministerial. We concur therefore ia IN,
suggestion % tho commissioned that TIA
work Of TIA board may nA consolidated
with mat Of hls Office.