The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-14
MUCH WORK FOR THE
STATE LAND BOARD

IHeFc mas occurred no cndnSe N the
membership Of the state board of land
commissioners since the close of your
last previous session. In. the near future.
perhaps at the mkt biennial session OF
the legislature il may be advisable to
change the land law so as to reduce the
number Of commissioners, but, in my
Judgment, the work before the board IS
sufficient to make il imperative that the
membership should not be lessened at this
time. New surveys Of the public Domain
are being regularly made. each township
thus surveyed adding four section to the
school lands Of the state 10 be appraised
and made available for lease or sale.
There is a large area. aggregating ap-
prOXimately 100000 acres OF land, TO be
selected by the board in lieu Of schoui
lands alienated or disposed of by the
general government prior to the adTniS-
sion of Utah into the Union, or with
drawn from the school grant by reason
OF the fact that they were known TO be
mineral lands at the time Of the passage
OF the enabling act. The selection and
appraisal OF these lands will require time
and necessarily involve the visiting ey
the commissioners of every part of the
state
The law has been administered intelli-
gently ana faithfully, the interests of the
constantly in mind The area of land
selected within the past two years III
satisfaction of the several grants by con-
gresS has not eQuaIed that. OF some pre-
Vious biennial periods owing chiefly, 1t
not entirely. to the withdrawal from
private entry and state selection by the
honorable secretary o. the interior OF
vast tracts with the view TO the creation
of forest reserves.
From the outset it has been the policy
of the land board to follow, generally,
the course adopted and pursued by the
general government in the administration
OF its land laws. namely: the encourage
ment of the citizens in the selection ana
entry of the land of their choice. 1t has
hoo hot hfe 1nN els
satisfaction, the individual being thus
enabled to purchase the tract that he
wants. and the state avoiding the eX-
penSe of keeping men in the field search
ing for what they may regard as eligible
and valuable lands, but which may prove
otherwise and fail to find buyers after
they have been selected. patented and
charged to the state in satisfaction of the
several grants BY leaving it with the
citizens to designate the land they want
to purchase. as the government does IN
the matter of dispOsing of the public do
main, 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
Tracts Withdrawn From Entry.
Many applications to purchase within
the limits of the proposed forest reserves
have been presented, but the tracts be-
tons were necessarily denied. to the an
nOyance and disappointment of citizens
and TO the injury of the state by the de-
lay thus OCcaSiOned in filing the grants
Neverth eiess something over 76 per cent
of all the grants have been satisfied, so
far as the selection of the land Is con-
cerned. ard these selections nave 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. en-
tries under the government laws, which
our statutes require to be sold at Sis
per acre, has been sold for less than Sl.J0
per acre. the minimum price fixed by the
land board.
While it is true that during the half
century Of settlement of Utah prior 10
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 without re,
sorting 10 the selection of lands of less
value than the minimum price noteo-
There may occur some delay, but that
ANNOYANCE will be compensated by the
better opportunity that time will give for
the people 70 obtain the lands they want.
1t is gratifying to be able to advise you
that the general land office at Washing
ton during the years 1912 proceeded
with a higher degree Of prOmptness in
acting uP0n and approving the states Sc
lections. thus enabling the state to issue
certificates of sale and patents to citizens
who. generally. are not disposed 10 inn
prove lands extensively before title can
be seen to be in line of certain perfection.
approved by the secretary Of the interior
are disposed of under agreements TO pur-
chase when the government approval OF
the selections shall be given. a de post or
provisional payment of 25 cents per acre
having been made by the intending
buyers.
The state board Of land commissioners.
acting under authority of law has held
auction sales of land in seventeen coun-
ties since your last meeting, and while
with two or three exceptions the offer
iugs we're not attended by large returns,
The private sales which followed the pub
lie offerings were numerous, citizens buy
ing Ihe land at its appraised valuation.
in most instances the purchases at auc'
ti0n have been at the appraised value,
These sales viii be continued from time
to time as the land can be appraised and
there is demand by citizens for the op-
porturity 10 buy.
Survey of Lands.
In past years the commissioner of the
gen raj land office kindly and cOurteOuSly
permitted me to designate land for sur
vey at the cost Of the government and
TO the extent or the appropriation and
allowance for this state not expended. by
the surveyor general in the regular course
OF business IN his Office. Last year my
request for surveys was denied. but it is
believed that / viii be permitted, In the
near future to designate lands for sur
vey, as in the past In all these. cases
have acted in accordance with requests
by he stare board of land commissioners
whose recommends tions have been based
almost exclusively upon reQueStS by cit
liens: the aim being primarily to procure
the survey of such lands as may be wise
" and profitably selected by the state
commodation of the largest possible
number of citizens who desire to plIr-
chase 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 authorized to
buy. The past year sound the country
generally with an unusually large sur
plus OF money seeking investment, and
rates OF inter- Il necessarily declined thus
forcing the ard to purchase bonds bear
ing a lower rate of interest than those
previously bought or to pay a premium
for bonds bearing a higher rate or in
terest.
invested. even II the returns were less
than formerly Care has been taken to
provide for farm loans. In no instance
where. he security was considered saffi-
Gent has an application for a farm loan
been denied. these in every case being
given the preference, as required by law
While in very few instances the Dor
rowers have not been prompt in the pay
ment of interest. II has not been found
nece Ssary TO fCrecicse any farm mort
gage Il IS thought that the property.
mortgaged 10 the state is ample security
for the loans.
investment VI GrdAt unos.
The total investments of the several
land grant funds principal on Dec 81 1892
ags-s gated SIS. ISL 50 as follows. Aeri-
cult Aral college. <s3. SIS %. Desf and Dunno
school. Sl4.S50.S3s Insane asylum So IS:
institution Tor the Blind IS u.s. ~: Miners.
hospital. Ss,elAl9; Normal school. SIS. us. IS.
public buildings SO 2S9, reservoirs SVy
377el: reform school S2z.522 IS: school,
$50, 3l5.s9; School Of Mines. S25 4S4. Is. Uni
versity, SlSf-SS5-e1- The rates of interest
on he Investments range from q x -, =
per cent per annum.
In M. lasi rnassaa 70 ah1. LII. 49,