Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1902-04-25
South Dakota's School Fund.

South DakOta's School Fund.
David Eastman, Commissioner o1
State and Public Lands in South Da
kota and Western Advocate: r.,
Few states Of our union have beer
as generously endowed with valuable
lands for common school, educational
charitable and penal institutions al
has South Dakota. Nearly all of thu
older states disposed of their school
and other lands when they reached the
value Of e5 an acre and in many cases
before they reached that value. For
tunately the trainers Of the constitu
tion fixed the minimum price of state
lands of all classes ut not less than $1t
per acre and restricted the sale to moi
more than one. third of each class in
the first ten years after statehood and
not more than two.thirds in the first
fifteen years. Twelve years have
elapsed and only one.eight of the
common school lands have been sold,
210 acres agricultural college lands
686 acres normal school lands and none
Of the other classes. We were en-.
dowed with also, 4so acres of common
school lands; $4,000 acres normal
school lands; s6.0S0 state university
lands; 10000 acres school of mines;
40, 600 acres reform school; 10000 acres
deaf and dumb; $4,000 acres public
buildings at state capital; 100000 acres
agricultural college, and 10000 for
other educational and charitable pur.
poses. From this last noted class 49,
600 has been set aside for the Spring.
field normal; 10000 for the Aberdeen
normal; 10000 for the asylum for
feeble minded at Redfield, and $4,000
acres for the blind asylum at Gary,
leaving Is, 900 acres for the legislature
to set aside as an endowment for some
other institution. The Yankton insane
asylum, in our opinion should be en-
dowed with this and We sincerely hope
that 1t will be 80 endowed at our next
session.
The first sale of common school lands
occurred during the year of 1891 in the
southern part Of the state, that being
the best settled, and the lands the most
valuable at that time The sale aver.
aged but little above the minimum
price, while last March 34,46s acres
were sold in the counties Of Brown,
Day. Roberts, Grant Codington Clark,
Kingsbury, Brookings, Lake, Hamlin,
Minnehaha and McCook, (only three
counties of which lie in the southern
half Of the state). which averaged &1S
per acre. Nearly every tract was
bought by farmers owning adjoining
farms and not for speculative purposes.
From the common school lands already
sold and the 5 per cent on the sale of
United States government land we
have received $s41, 500. 80 all loaned ex-
cept $227. 600 and their is still due on
The purchase price Of the land sold
b, los, ,74609 which added to the
received equals $3,s47, ,245.84.
From the s per cent interest on this
fund and from the leasing of the com.
mon school land Of this state have re-
,eived since statehood $1,752,015 and
The present year they have received
e3O0, ,s59. "a. This fund is designated
The interest and income fund and will
increase until all the lands are
,old and when one half Of the common
,chool lands shall be sold at the aver
age price of all sold to this date, 14.61
per acre, and the price has been steadi.
ly advancing. it will create sum, the
interest Of which, even at 5 per cent,
will equal the amount paid for teach.
ers' wages in the common schools of
our state for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1900, viz; $751;, ,950.29, as shown
by the report Of the superintendent Of
public instruction and leave balance
Of $25,44S.2l. When our endowment
lands shall be sold even at the mini.
mum price Of go per acre, it will pro.
duce sum, the interest of which at .
per cent will equal the amount appro.
priated by our last legislature for all
endowed public institutions for main.
and repairs and in some cases
($s5 54W and leave balance
Of 800, 1852, or A per cent more than the
amount appropriated. 4.
The amount received for leasing
common school lands this year exceeds
the amount received last year by 40 per
cent and the endowment land leases Of
this year exceed those Of last year IS
per cent. N..
In most of the counties of our state
The tax payer finds the heaviest item on
his tax receipts to be for the support of
schools and in some cases it
is one.half of his entire tax, but with
this item almost eliminated as it GER
kainly will be in the not distant future.
aud when our endowment land funds
shall be practically supporting the
most Of our public institutions then the
tax kicker will forget his woes and