Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-13
GOVERNORS
MESSAGE.
Continued from page one.)

Of the passage Of the enabling act the
selection and appraisal Of these land'
viii require time and necessarily In
volye the visiting by the commissioner
Of every part OF the state.
The law has been administered intel.
ligently and faithfully, the interests Of
the state ana the good Of the citizens
being constantly IN mind IN area Of
land selected within The past Two years
in satisfaction of the several grants
by Congress has not equaled that OF
some previous biennial periods owing
chiefly, II not entirely, TO the withdraw
al from private entry and state selec-
ton by the honorable secretary OF the
interior OF vast tracts With the view q
the creation Of forest reserves. From
the outset 1t has been the policy of The
land board 90 follow generally, the
course adopted and pursued by the gen.
eral goyernmnt In the administration OF
It's land laws, namely; the encouorage-
ment OF the citizens IN the selection
and entry Of the land OF their choice
ii has been found that this policy gives
better satisfaction. the individual being
thus enabled to purchase the tract that
he wants, and the state avoiding the
expense OF keeping men In the fald
searching for what they may regard as
eligible and valuable lands, but which
may prove otherwise and fan 70 find
buyers after they have been selected,
patented and charged to the state In
satisfaction Of th several land grants.
BY leaving It with the citizens 70 des-
ignate the land they want TO purchase,
as the government does IN the matter
Of disposlng Of the public domain, the
state escapes heavy expense, and
practically all the lands selected are
sold before they are chosen by the state
and charged against the grants.
Many applications 60 purchase With
In the limits Of the proposed forest re-
serves have been presented, but the
tracts being Withdrawn from entry the
applications were necessarily denied, TO
the annoyance and disappointment OF
citizens and TO the injury OF the state
by the delay thus occasioned In fllllug
the grants Nevertheless something
over rs per cent OF all the grants have
been satisfied, so far as the selection of
the lard IL concerned, and those selec-
lions have either been approved, or
are In the regular course OF approval
by the department Of the interior None
Of the land. except that embraced In
ACCOMPLISHMENTS Of entries under the
government laws, which our statutes
require to be sold al sl.2b per acre, has
been sold for less that $3.50 per acre,
the minimum price fixed by the land
board.
While It Is true that during the hall
century OF settlement OF Utah prior TO
statehood practically all Of the better
and more valuable lands were entered
under the national land laws, there
IS no longer a doubt that the several
grants can be filled and satisfied with
out resorting TO the selection Of lands
Of less value than the minimum price
noted. There may occur some delay,
but that annoyance VIII be compensate
Cd by the better opportunity that time
viii give for the people TO obtain the
lands they want.
II Is gratifying to be able 10 advise
you that the general land office at
Washington, during the years 10000
proceeded with higher degree Of
promptness IN acting upon and approx
ing the states selections. thus enabling
the state to Issue certificates Of sale
and patents 10 citizens who, generally,
are no disposed 70 improve lands ex-
tensiyely before title can be seen TO be
IN lire Of certain perfection.
tn other lands selected and not yet
approved by the secretary of the inter-
Tor are disposed OF under agreements
70 purchase when the government APP
prevail OF the selections shall be given,
deposit or provisional payment Of
% cents per acre having been made by
the intending buyers.
The state board Of land commission
crs acting under authority OF law, has
held auction sales of land In II counties
since Your last meeting, and while with
TWO or three exceptions the offerings
were not attended by large returns, the
private sales which followed the pub
lie offerings were numerous citizens
buying The land at rs appraised valua.
ton In most instances the purchases
at auction have been at the appraised
value. These public sales will be con.
tinued from time TO time as the land
can be appraised and there is demand
by citizens for the opportunity TO buy.
In past years the commissioner Of the
general land office kindly and court.
cously permitted me 10 designate lands
for survey at the cost Of government.
and TO the extent Of the appropriation
and allowance for this state not ex-
pended by the surveyor general In the
regular course OF business In his Office
Last var my request for surveys was
denied, but u Is believed that I VIII
be permitted IN the near future, TO
designate lands for survey as IN the
past. In all these cases I have acted
IN accordance with requests by the state
board Of lard commissioners. whose
recommendations have been based al
most exclusively upon requests by citi-
zens, the aim being primarily TO pro-
cure the survey OF such lands as may
be wisely and probably selected by the
state the main object, OF course. be-
Ing the accommodation OF the largest
possible number Of citizens who desire
10 purchase public lands.
You VIII be pleased TO learn that all
OF the land funds under the control OF
the state board of land commissioners
are Invested In farm mortgages and in
such public bonds as the board is au-
thorized 20 buy. The past year found
the country generally with an unusual
" large surplus OF money seeking in
vestmeni. and rates Of Interest neces-
sarily declined. thus forcing the board
10 purchase bonds bearing lower rate
az interest than those previously
bought or 70 pay a premium for bonds
bearing a higher rate Of Interest. II
was deemed wise 70 keep the money in
vested, even II the returns were less
than formerly Care has been taken 10
provide for farm loans. IN no instance
where The security was considered
sufficient has an application for q fam
Iran been denied these IN every case
being given tho preference, ne required
NV law While IN a very few Instances
the borrowers have not been promnt IN
he payment of Interest u has not been
found necessary 10 foreclnse any farm
lnortgage. II Is thought that the prop
crty motigaged to the state Is ample
security Cor the loans
The total investments Of the several
land grant funds nrinclnal on Dec. 81.
1902. aggregated SITS 100 70 ne follows:
Agricultural college. ss357s ~: deaf and
dumb school Sii.S7O.S3; insane asylum,
VA %Nr S,nitl1.S&