The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-26
A GREAT BENEFACTION.

In addition to the grants of land, the
general government is obligated to pay
to the state of Utah 8 per cent of the
net proceeds of the sales of govern
ment land in Utah made subsequent
to the admission of the state. These
sums will come largely from sales of
mineral land. The percentage to be
paid goes to a permanent fund for the
support of the common schools. The
states proceeds of land sales and
leaves also so to permanent interested
funds, the interest from which is ap-
plicable to the maintenance of the
states institutions. By law the in
vestments must be made in public
bonds and farm mortgage loans, the
latter at per cent annual interest
SO far only a minimum of sales have
been closed and but few leases of graz
| ing lands have been negotiated, but
from the number of applications ap-
proved and in process of approval, it is
safe to estimate that by the end of the
ensuing year the various institutions
of the state will have invested to their
credit fully three-quarters of a million
dollars in the aggregate, earning an
average annual interest of per cent.
Utah is the first of the new western
states to reduce the state tax levy af-
ter the first year of statehood. The
first year mills were levied, and the
second after admission TX mills was
the levy The invested revenue from
the sale and lease of lands will yield
sufficient funds for the maintenance of
the several state institutions to permit
of the tax levy after 1898 to be reduced
another half mill.
THE WEALTH. PRODUCING NOUN
TAINS AND VALLEYS.
Only a small portion of the entire
area of the state has been surveyed
the unsurveyed area being chiefly in
the remote mountain and desert re-
gions. AS soon as the government sur
veys are extended, the selection and
appraisement of these lands by the
state will be made as demands require
and as the best interests OF the com
main is valuable for mining and lum-
bering enterprises and for cattle-
grazing. The arid lands susceptible of
irrigation and to be selected contain
about 2,6S0,000 acres an area greater
than the present occupied irrigated
area of the state. Nearly 100000
acres of the grants are mountain lands,
but none the less valuable to the state
as the future will demonstrate. AS
soon as the Indian reservations are
opened to settlement the land board
viii make numerous choice selections
in the region now owned by the abor-
igines.
IRRIGATION AND RETALIATION.
The Carey act cedes about 100000
acres of the arid domain which is re-
claimable by means of storing water
and taking the surplus out in canals
over the sagebrush tracts, which need
only the favor Of modern irrigation
works to make fertile farms and pro-
ductive orchards. The cession of this
millionaire gift will be accomplished
as soon as the state complies with the
conditions to be made easily effective
in the near future.
The forks and main streams of the
Sewer Grand, Green, Price, Bear,
Provo and Weber rivers afford numer-
Gus advantageous reservoir Sites and
in time the reservation of these will
be followed UP with the storage Of
water, when it is not needed, to be
taken later for the irrigation OF the
farms and orchards in places where
now barren wastes abound The state
will profit by the completion of the
Lake Bonneville project, and the pro-
ceeds Will enable the commonwealth to
engage in similar irrigation and re-
clamation enterprises, with great adj
vantage.
WATCHFUL OF THE STATES IN
TERESTS.
The state land board has been very