Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-08-26
Leasing Agricultural Lands.

Leasing Agricultural Lands.
The policy OF leasing agricultural nnd
grazing lands. as against selling under
contract on the plan OF the Republicans.
which realized nothing 20 the state, II
original with the Stnte Land Commissioner
and r. ono OF the best features OF tho
new Fusion policy OF running the state
government. Leasing was 20 he sure. re-
sorted 10 nv the Republicans at n mini
mum rental OF 50 cents per mere. The new
State Land Commission reduced the mini
mum TO IN cents per acre.
The old policy excluded all lands from
lease except those lying close IN. or those
IN the most fertile valleys. and even IN
those cases rentals were not collected.
The state received no income from other
lands whatever. Nearly all lands ARE
now IN use that were occupied under tho
old regime. and a large number ~ tracts
that were not. while all are yielding
revenue.
In many cases the present State Land
Commissioner IL exchanging contracts for
sale. for leases at the new rates. The
holders Of these contracts could not meet
their obligations 20 the state and ths Re-
publican Government ola nothing 90
make their holdings pay rentals or rev.
enue OF any sort The receipts from his
source r. now more than three times what
Il was under the old policy.
II appears that the Republicans adopted
the policy Of permitting the occupants 10
enjoy and work the state lands free or
charge a. tacitly understood SOP 20
them IN lieu OF the privilege OF plunderlng
tho taxes from other sources.
No speculation In tho use ~ state lands
IL permitted. The state seeks to deal d.
rectly with the user ~ these lands. In
happy contrast with the old policy which
permitted land sharks 60 suitcase. "
anyone sub-lenses under the present Ad-
20 ~ festn =
rearrraises the lands involved Mt Icn GEMS
on the dollar above the amount extorted
from the tenant
This r. q wholesome policy and tends 20
secure 10 the actual toiler all the pro-
ducts OF his labor except the nero pittancs
collected by the state. Following is n
comparative statement 81 the revenues de-
rived from this leasing business:
Money received In Z years. ending
November I. 1sN .................tZ' .sls "
Money received In 2 years. ending
November I. 1874 ................. S.soi 81
Money received In - months. end
ing July l. 1875. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. bs.1ss II
Current School Fund Apportionmenf.
Nothing shows ,hs success ~ the Fu-
sion Administration more than iis Inn
movement ~ the school funds. both cur
rent and permanent ana the youth of the
state are 20 10 congratulated uron the
Improvement 81 the common schools made
possible by tho increase % revenues ana
the moro equitable arrortionmsnts from
the enlarged current school fund.
Following II n comparative statement
ny periods or quarters ~ tho aprortion-
ments Of the current school fund from
March o. 1885, 20 May II 1895:
Period ending March .. 1895 ......s Hoio SO
Period ending July q 1905 ......... .........
Period ending April o 1895 ........ ~ sse as
Period ending March z. isas ss.ss2 *
Period ending April II. isos. soiT Is
Period ending July q. 1895 ....... s2s?is II
Total ........ .sss5 SIS 10
The above period constitutes six quar-
tera. or eighteen months. II viii he seen
that no superintendent was made for the
quarter ending July o. 1895. but that in
some way. and probably for some dark
purpose the money was carried forward
20 the end Of the quarter terminal ting July
r. 1894 when tho amount spportloned IL
more than four times NJ great as u was
for any Of the preceding quarters. In any
event some one had the use Of the money
and the schools suffered IN consequence.
This. however. was n common practice In
those days But 20 continue the figures:
Quarter ending October Q. iSsf 8 2a1i m
Quarter ending January II. 1887. is2 GO ~
Total 10 date. or for . years. tssi. aes s0
The above shows the appointments
during the last two years Of Republican
rule Now let ms sec what was done dur
ing ths following fifteen months of Fu.
sion Government:
Quarter ending April -. 1897 .....f n ~ 81
Quarter ending July ~. 1877 ...... loo 3st ~
Quarter ending October ~. 1897 o.. 23i 767 "
Quarter ending January n. iS9s.. eta ~. 20
Quarter ending May Il. iS9s....... :ts go ~
thtAl sssssssssss ssssss WV W. -
This shows an excess for the fusion Pc
Rod ~ nfteen months over the Republic
an period Of two years Of t779. 80 81. or an
excess az the fusion period of fifteen
months over the nrst named Republican
neriod OF eighteen months Of ttss. .as II. or
an excess Of the fusion period Of nfteen
months over the same period Of Republic
an rule OF ySi h5sss
These figures are true and eloquent. and
every teacher In the state OF Washington
and every person who has the education