The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-12-25
Highest all in Leavenng Power-Latest u Govt Report
R0>!a!I! g! RskdssF RRskidHs
ABSOLUTELY PURE
The States Land Department.

State Commissioner of Public Lands
w. L. Forrest, has made his report.
Notwithstanding the financial depres-
sion that has been universal through
out the country the work of Mr.. For
rests department has been greater for
the past .wo years than for any other
period of a like time since the creation
of this Office. This extra amount Of
business has been due to the selection
OF granted lands and the appraisement
and sale of oyster lands and tide lands
OF the first, second and third values.
The lands selected together With the
townships reserved will be sufficient
to satisfy the several grants except the
one OF indemnity school lands. Near
iy all the oyster land applications have
been disposed of and the most difficult
part of the work in connection with
the other classes of tide lands has been
done, SO the much desired objects of
completing the works and Classifying
the office into departments can be
successfully accomplished in the near
future.
The law governing the school land
leases should be amended to avoid the
present vexations and unnecessary de-
lay after the bids are received and be-
fore the leases are issued. The valu-
able timber belonging to the state
should be protected in some way, and
It's suggested that forest guards should
be provided in localities adjacent to
state timber, and they could be COM
pensated by contingent fees in cases of
arrest and conviction of trespassers.
There is at the present time a bal-
ance of 100000 in the treasury be-
longing to the tide land fund, and
from the sale OF tide lands at Seattle
and Tacoma this large amount will be
greatly increased, and some provision
should be made for the use of this
fund that it does not remain idle and
unremunerative TO the state.
The fees collected in the Office of the
commissioner of public lands and paid
to the state treasurer for the two years
ending October so, 1896, are $14S6.78.
The total value of sales of school lands
In the two years in the state has been
$164, ,S5S.5S; there has been S,072.75
acres sold, at an average price per acre
of $2O42
Comparative tables in the report
show the condition of granted lands.
Out of $4,000 acres to be selected,
5lS, 1908 acres have been selected,
and in addition to 13S, ,726 ceres have
been secured on unsurveyed townships
which are to be selected as soon as the
surveys are mad !, for which provision
has been made This makes q total
of 657 ,210,5S acres, or 35,21O.5S acres
in excess of the grant, a margin which
is necessary to cover selections reject
ed by the secretary OF the interior for
various reasons. The average value
per acre selected, which rose from
$9.O6 in 1892 to $10.l0 in 1894, was
$1l19 in 1896, the value for timber
land being based on % to so cents per
1000 feet for frst-class timber while
the cost of cruising selecting and
making reservations, which in 1892
was 10 cents an acre, has been in 1895
-96 reduced to 6i cents.
In conclusion the report, after re-
sumo of the work accomplished by the
board, the commissioner says that they
have now practically completed their
work, and concur in the suggestion of
the commissioner of public lands that
the board be consolidated with that
Office, and as the constitution requires
/ that lands offered for sale shall be APP
praised by board OF three members, if
the Office of cruiser be retained, that
the appraisals and such plats as Che
Law may require may be made by him
aud approved by the commissioner of
public lands and any two of the state
Officers.