The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-18

A vast amount of important legisla-
ton was enacted by the legislature
that has just adjourned. Laws de-
signed to promote the welfare of al
most every industry in the state were
passed, the work OF this body having
been increased by the failure of its
predecessor to provide the state with
needed legislation. 1t will be to the
interest ana profit of all classes of
citizens to acquaint themselves with
the general provisions of these new
laws, and it is the purpose of The Her
aid to publish, from day TO day, all of
the measures in condensed form.
All of the new legislation relating to
state lands is presented this morning.
These laws will enable the state to dis
pose OF the generous grants carried by
the act admitting Utah to statehood,
and to take advantage of the pro-
visions of the Carey land grant, thus
securing 1000, 900 acres more, and at the
same time will provide a way by which
thousands of homeseekers may secure
farms.
The general land law, creating a
state board of land commissioners and
providing for the disposal of state
lands, passed by the first state legisla-
Jure, has been remodeled and amended
in many important respects. The board
has been enlarged from five to seven
members, two of whom are the gov
ernor and secretary of state, and the
term of office has been reduced from
four to two years. This board has the
direction, management and control of
all lands owned by the state, with
power to lease or sell the same. 1t shall
make selections of lands granted by
the government to the state and shall
assign and apportiOn these selections
among the various funds designated by
these different grants. The lands shall
be appraised and appraisers may be
appointed by the board.
It is the duty of the board to ascer-
tain what of the unappropriated lands
of the state are capable Of irrigation,
and the sources and reliability of the
water supply. and shall classify the Sc
lections made under the government
grants according to the following
classification: Agricultural. grazing,
timber, reservoir sites, natural gas,
mineral, coal, stone, saline or arid
lands.
When lands have been appraised they
shall be sold at public auction, when
deemed conducive to the best interests
of the state, but no land shall be sold
for less than the appraised value. Arid
lands may be sold in tracts not exceed
ing $40 acres, and other lands in tracts
not exceeding $50 acres. Actual set
tiers who have improved state lands
and were or Jan. 1, 1894, actual settlers
thereon, shall have the preference right
to purchase the land, not exceeding
such amount as would, on JAN /, 1894,
or a. the present time, make the. entire
holding of such person in the state not
to exceed $50 acres. Where settlers
have resided upon or cultivated school
1N
United States surveys, or the land has
been purchased at not less than % per
cent of its appraised value. the price
in no case TO be less than $1.25 per acre.
Application to make such purchase
must be made prior to July l, 1897.
Lands suitable for reservoir sites may
be disposed of in such manner as VIII
benefit the settlers on lower levels.
Timber lands may be leased and the
timber sold. but no person shall cut
growing timber of less than eight
inches diameter at the butt, but set
Tiers may. remove cedar, quaking asp,
maple, oak, mahogany or pinyon pine
for their own use.
Not less than one-tenth of the pur-
chase price of state lands shall be paid
AT the time of sale and the balance in
not to exceed ten yearly payments.
All unsOld lands may be leased at
rental of not less than per cent of
the appraised value. Grazing lands
may be leased for a term not exceeding
u years and in tracts not exceeding
80 900 acres. Other lands cannot be
leased for more than five years or in
tracts exceeding $50 acres to any one
nerson. Where the inhabitants of
cities. towns or villages have enjoyed
the use of grazing lands for period
of ten wears they shall have preference
right TO lease such lands, and on all
grazing leases a preference right snail
be given actual settlers and citizens or
the state The board may withhold
from sale lands on which there are
springs of water, where water for
stock purposes is scarce, and their
sale or lease. would create a monopoly
of large trccts of grazing lands.
The county treasurers shall collect
the funds derived from the sale OF
state lands, which shall be invested or
disposed of by the state board. Such
funds may be invested in first mort
gage loans on farms at Z per cent.
The board shall set apart such tracts
of timber land as may be required to
preserve the forests, prevent diminu-
ton of the flow of rivers and aid in
the irrigation of arid lands. a full
report of the boards transactions shall
be published on the LIST of January of
each year.
CAREY LAND NTIlAN L.
An act passed by congress in 1894 |
donated to each of the arid states l.
00O. 900 acres of land conditioned upon
the establishment of irrigation works !
for the reclamation of such land. The |
first state legislature failed to enact !
anv legislation whatever to enable the !
state to accept the conditions of this /
grant. but the legislature that has just |
adjourned enacted a law fully cover |
ing the subject, and an eastern syn |
dictate is now preparing to take ad |
vantage of the provisions of the act at |
an outlay of a million and a half dol |
lars.
ANY person or corporation desiring |
TO construct irrigation works shall file |
with the state land board an applica |
ton for selection of the lands to be |
irrigated. such lands to be selected by /
the board in behalf of the state. This (
sDplica ton shall be accompanied by !
4 proposal TO construct irrigation
works to reclaim said land, giving a.
fun statement of the plans, source of
water supply and how the water right !
has been acquired, maximum price per
acre at which water rights will be
sold and maximum price per acre per
annum for maintenance tax.
Public notice of such application
shall be given for 80 days, and if APP
proved by the board it shall file
list of the lands in the local land Of
ice with a request for their withdraw
II under the provisions of the Carey
grant Upon the withdrawal of such
ands by the interior department it
shall be the duty of the state board to
enter into a contract with the appli-
ant which contract shall contain full