Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-08-26
Their Duties Defined.

The same paper on the same date says:
1.-THE duties OF this august commission OF
Governor McGraw's creation. consists
chiefly Of the following as specified by
law:
81. To sell state lands in the manner
specified by law.
80. To make the harbor line surveys.
"3. Certifying who are entitled to pur-
chase tide lands and passing upon appli-
cations to purchase.
~. Ordering-simply ordering-the APP
praisement Of school lands to be made by
the duly appointed agent in each county.
who is paid s. per day and expenses.
49, The hearing of contest cases where
two or more applicants claim the right
to purchase tract Of land.
"6 Drawing their salaries"
The reader will notice that this g a
specimen Of Republican ring government
as described by the Republican Tacoma
Ledger.
A Tell-Tale Estimate.
AS far back as 1891 Ex-Governor Semple
in an interviews printed in The Tacoma
News said: "In Seattle our engineer and
a real estate dealer who was familiar with
the value Of the tide lands made a COM
putation to find out how much. approxim-
ately, would come from the sale OF tide
lands to be devoted to harbor improve
ments. (Being Is per cent Of the whole
amount realized.) The Seattle fats we
computed to be worth fully $1,000 0o II
the tide land commission appraise them
at anything like their actual value. This
would give 50 000. 900 for harbor improve
ments" This statement will be found Of
great significance when we come to take
into consideration what was realized for
the lands in question. less than half a
million dollars.
A Change for Economy.
It may as well be mentioned here that
the Fusion Legislature Of 1897 wiped out all
trace Of tide land commissions. abolished
the tide land fund and authorized the
money therein. about 1900. invested in
outstanding state warrants. This was a
master stroke Of economy as We shall
see.
Representative A. d. Warner Of
Everett. in writing Of this said:
"Under Republican rule money re-
ceiyed from the sale Of tho tide lands was
put into a fund known as tho tide land
fund. There was no law authorizing Its
investment, and Il was very acceptable
and agreeable to the Republican politi-
clans and bankers Of the state to have a
large sum Of money-amounting to about
500 ooo-on hand all the time. It was in
the banks which were using It from year
to year without paying any interest. while
at the same time the state was paying 8
per cent interest on sixteen or seventeen
hundred thousand dollars Of floating in
dehtedness IN the shape Of warrants
This did not appear to be a good business
proposition to the Fusion Legislature.
and It consequently abolished the tide
land fund. put the money in the general
fund, and the public officia1s have re-
deemed and Cancelled outstanding war
rants with It: thereby decreasing the
debt and stopping It's accumulation BY
interest charges. saving 70 the state moro
than $4,000 year by this law in interest
alone.''
1t also abolished the old appointive land
commission. as has already been men,
toned. and placed in Its stead elective
officers. with the Commissioner OF Public
Lands chosen by the peonle at It's head,
ard with the Secretary Of State and the
Superintendent Of Public Instruction as
the other members. These gentlmen, as
before stated. perform the duties devolv-
ing upon them as members Of the Land
Board without extra pay.
The Old and tho New.
As we review the grand work Of this
new board we will intersperse the account
with the record Of the preceding Repub-
lican appointive Land and Harbor Line
Boards in order that the reader may for
himself arrive at true comparison OF the
two systems. We repeat that probably
the greatest outrage prepetrated upon
the people by Republican ring politics
was the manner Of disposing of the tide
lands, and the criminal neglect of the old
land commissioners to obey the plain pro-
visions of the law and the regulation and
control Of the hs->or areas of the state.
Seattle Tide Land Steals.
In Seattle and Tacoma, as has already
been shown, IAN examination of the tide
land plats filed in the office Of the Com
! missioner of Public Lands discloses the
Int np fhn INN nrfo mt
STREETS in the City Of Seattle. viz: Main
and Yesler, which ought to have been ex-
tended as public streets upon the pla;s
Of the tide lands of that city. have not
been so extended, and are now In the pos
session of private corporations, the pub
lie being denied the right of access to
and across the water front upon said