East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1904-12-28


lem, speaking of the report of State
Land Agent Oswald West, says;
Denunciation of the lieu land policy
of his predecessor in office is the
principal feature of the biennial re-
port of State Land Agent oswald
West, which has been filed in the
governors office. Because criticism
of that kind is so unusual as to be
almost without precedent, the report
has excited considerable comment
among present and former state Of
ficials.
This manner of referring to the Of
ficial acts of a predecessor has some
what of a precedent, however, in the
first report of State Land Agent T.
w. Davenport who, as the appointee
of the Lord administration, took oc-
casion to pass structures upon the lieu
land policy of the Pennoyer regime.
Davenport was perhaps more consid-
crate toward the men whose acts met
his disapproval, for he mentioned no
names, but in Vests report the names
of L. B. Geer and General w. II. Odell
are frequently used, and their meth
DDS of conducting state land business
are criticized without stint.
In general, the statement of facts
made by State Land Agent West is
the same as that which has been pub |
lished several times in the press, /
showing that General odell adjudi-
Gated mineral "base" and supplied the
same to intending purchasers of state
lieu land: that the base proved to be
, invalid, whereby the purchasers lost
title to their lieu land. The purchas-
ers were repaid the money received
, from them by the state, but have not
had returned to them the money paid
by them to General Odell. For the
purpose of showing that the Geer
administration should have known
. better than to manage state lieu land
!. business In the way it did, Mr.. West
} quotes extensively from the report OF
: State Land Agent Davenport in 1897,
4 in which report Davenport set forth
B in detail the manner in which the
y states honor had been compromised
3 by sales of lieu land to which title
. could not be given. After quoting
8 from Davenport. Mr.. West says of the
9 Geer regime:
= Had the last administration giver
. heed to these words and. looking oVel
= the records of the past, profited b!
. the experience of others, lieu lan'
= matters would not be again in sucl
q deplorable condition"
After describing the lieu land oper
y ations of Geer and Odell, with whicl
. the public is already familiar, MI
9 West saws that the total amount o
mineral land adjudications was &c.
- 600, upon which 73,500 acres OF lie
" land was selected. OF this amour
- 1900 acres was approved and 72,0O
~ acres not approved. other selectio
ID to the amount OF 1880 acres hav
been rejected. making the total $500
~ acres. The state has repaid the none
- to purchasers of 46,500 acres and hs
" substituted new base for $500 acre
leaving 1900 acres upon which III
~ state must stl1l repay the purcha'
"a money.
The amount of purchase money r.
~ paid is s77,5O6, and it is estimate
- that It will require about 5000
, g more to repay the remainder.
~ Concerning farms which were take
- by the state upon the foreclosure
~ mortgages given TO secure loans fro
the school funds, Mr.. West says tn
october /, 1909. there were on har
so farms since which time eight ha'
been acquired and AS sold, leaving
now in state ownership.
The AS farms sold brought $lSS
1880 which was SS900.s4 less thi
the states claim. including interei
but s41.675.SO more than the amou
lent by the state. The 40 remainii
farms represent total loan of IS.
97S.25. which sum is swelled TO ~
557.95 by interest. taxes. costs, e.
Mr.. West estimates that these farm
which are the "culls'' Of the stat
holdings. will bring about $4,000
s17.9S7.25 less than the states LOAF
and $39.557.25 less than the total co
While there will be loss upon I
farms now remaining. Mr.. West sa
that the sales already made have be
AT a profit and on the whole the sta
will come out about even on its fol
closed loans.