The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-13

Wants the Legislature TO Aprr"prs-
ate Another Sco.oes for His Of
Gee. So That He Can Secure some
Land. to Which state Is Entitled

Special rispatcb % TIE Poss-Tnse1.i=sncer-
OLYMPIA Feb 12-An important de-
rAr-ue2: n saas work % Ire land cc-F1-
missioner fer TIE next 1850 years SaG -
re selecLi@c and RESERVATION ~ ever 1as.-
So acres - lzn1. 20 ~ isssa BY Iae st&Ee
neg u !az.s ae&1agsrlg - TIE Sen2oa
grant from t1e Federal government o2t
wrlch nave been lost 70 Iae st2Ee <rcaS.
one cause or another. Mr. Br21ses. ne
.au4 commissioner. has asked 1as legssla-
ture 20 apyr3rr.zte s. $50 <1r the wera -
cruising these lieu l42s4s
According 80 TIE report Of The laA3 ccu2-
Il ssloaeF. @-ssa&a acres have been Iost %
tae state from sfss scho3l grant, = akc1. 81
the basis o. every slx1eezth ard .a.EtY-
sixth section - every oS1Satp, would
amount apprC xizr&Eely - --sss)9s1 acres
The causes SEich Ezvs made possible tbs
loss are chiefly two. FIRST natural caGs-
IS, IS where ne township = UncS1ap-e1e1
By sal. water or lakes. second. ~ ne
pz.or occupation % tscIa a5e settlers y
nsu - these lands he STATE 5 emitted
under the Iag to appropriate other -<f.1s
g; equal Character and value wherever
they are % be found Un-zssts Or uuaFpro-
pgiA;s3. !, is 10 pay Ter tie work g So
iect1c< these lfea lands which Mr. Bridges
ASKS the present legislature ior s-o.oaa
Under the lAw II Is necessary ars< for me
state % deposit 20 ing credit q me IA
;ional government : sum sufficient . Se-
fray the cost of The survey CT tbs SECTION
Of lieu lands walch may De reserved = De
hall - the state. For t1ts purpose ne
legislature Two years ago appropriated
alice. the bQ.k of which has been *
reGQed. bat RAiC6 VII iu tina Ia repaid
20 tbs safe BY the government
AS soca 4s tae survey Of the townships
containing the reserved sections - COM
p-eted the stale land commissioner Is notI-
fed. ard ne mus; within sixty days have
representative visit every forty acres 81
The reserved sections and examine them
as % the character OF the land. mineral.
timber, grasses. etc. Before the iate:sc-
department. Will approve The reservation AS
lieu lands. ahidasits must De made z be
half Of or by the Land commissioner. tes-
trying as 20 the non-mineral character %
the reserved lands, the absence q coal
the quality and value % the timber. etc.
In order 10 take advantage OF the sur
veys that have already been made IN be-
half OF the state" Mr.. Bridges said to-
day the land commissioner must have
funds 70 send cruisers 20 the selected
lands for the purpose Of making the AMI
davits required by the Interior depart
rnent regarding their character as 10 min
erai tinoe-, etc. For this purpose / have
asked the legislature to make an appro-
priatioa Of S11o-o. Few people, perhaps.
realize the necessity for the early selec-
{AJA OF t44G Lieu 4SI4GS 10 WHICH EAAE St4AEt
is entitled ny reason OF shortage IN the
school grant. Under the congressional act
o. Is53 the state. then a part Of the terri
tory OF Oregon, was given sections Is Id
g IN every township. The states title 10
these lands was paramount except as 10
prior and cona fide settlers.
1t has been computed that in this
grant there is shortage o. ~, 80 acres
In lieu OF these lest lands the state has
the right under the law To make sclec-
lions Of indemnity lands from the puaic
domain and under this provision approx
g4tely 1850 acres have been reserved Ia
the state, There yet remains - ss re-
served approximately I0l ht) acres.
~ am firmly of the opinion. and / have
urged it upon the legislature, that the I'm
peratiye duty Of the state al this tine IS
10 secure the remainder OF these lieu
lands Every year finds il more difficult
10 secure choice and valuable lands from
the public domain. Timber lands OF value
open - entry are becoming yearly more
and more remote from the meas OF trans
portation. These are some OF The reasons
That make the vigorous prosecution %
the work OF reserving and selecting these
lands necessary AT this time
II IS understood that Coy. Rogers NIL
ask fer Az appropriation OF Sl4Uoo far the
cost OF survey Of the indemnity lands
htch IS first paid 10 the national govern
menc and afterwarG returned 10 the state
when the selections arN approved ana
patents issued Tae governors part IN
the fraasac don Is merely 4 perfunctorv
performance OF a duty.