Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-01-10

drawn against county fund. and rep
istercd and stamped mot paid for want
or FUNDS they draw interest at per
cent This makes Il possible that coun-
" and other warrants may draw IN.
terest, when at the same time money
belonging to those funds may have
been lying I'm the banks. Every dollar
OF Interest thus paid Is direct rob
berry OF the public treasury. This sys.
tenn should not be permitted.
| realize that there tx an antagonism
70 q change. For this reason / have
dealt more fully with the subject than
would have done under other clrcum.
stances, and have stated the SIT
uation so clearly that beneve no mem.
Der OF your honorable body can fail TO
comprehend t. From the standpoint
OF a public business administration that
Is frank and honest with the public,
whose servants ana agents we are,
urge upon you prompt and efficient
leSislation TO cover the ground indicat-
Ell Hence | recommend as to the depos-
lung OF state and other funds, that the
law should provide that il be under "A
board either Of loan commissioners ar
otherwise as you IN your wisdom may
designate, who shall exercise discretion
as to the safety of the place of deposit
ana shall let the public know the terms
thereof, and the benefit TO go to the
various funds on deposit, that I'm couu-
ties the power be vested directly in the
boards OF county commissioners. IN
cities In the city councils or finance
committees thereof; and In school dis
tricts In the various school boards each
to exercise its discretion and maze It's
action a matter of public record. by
this method we viii safeguard the
taxpayer as It is our duty to do m the
Iudiclous handling Of public funds,
STATE LANDS.
The report of the state board Of land
commissioners is submitted for your
consideration. desire to refer TO the
main items set forth In full IN the re.
port.
Practically 90 pc recent of the ,52i 900
acres OF land granite dby Congress to the
state of Utah, in the enabling act Tor
the establishment Of educational ana
charitable institutions, and the develop
ment OF the resources Of the state, have
been selected, pro ra.l under the sew
eral grants, Care has been taken Ia
see that the ratio Of satisfaction among
the respective grants, Is maintained,
Under the system adopted by the state
board, the money accrulng to thc sew
eral grants Is divided pro rata among
them, A minimum price is fixed for
the lands, and the citizens are rcuirel
TO designate the tracts they desire To
purchase, and the selecting agents des-
lgnate the grant to which each list shall
apply. AS virtually all the lands are
rated at the same price. when selected
by purchasers, no grant can obtain an
advantage over any other.
The Indications are that the grants
Will be satisfied I'm the next two years.
and after that the only land acquired
from the government viii be the four
sections In each township awarded to
the common schools. The extent Of this /
grant Of school lands can not he de- /
termlned with accuracy until the pub |
lie surveys have been completed. While I
the selection Of public lands for the sat |
OF these grants VIII neces- /
sarily chase IN short time, II win be ,
many years before all the school lands
viii come into the possession of the
state. Furthermore, about 200, 900 acres
Of land designated as school lands have /
been disposed Of by the government un-
der the agricultural and mineral laws,
and lands I'm lieu OF these will be Cho-
sen for the school fund The sale Of
these lands win add to the school fund,
md materially lessen the rate Of tax
alton for the support of the public
schools.
Not so much land as formerly has
been applied for during the past two
years. This "a partly accounted for by
he formation Of forest reserves, These
ands withdrawn from sale or settle
nent, are chiefly the valuable grazing
racts, the less desirable lands being
eft for purchase. II Is believed, how
,ver, that many Of these lands will be
restored to the public domain, only
hose lands being permanently with
lrawn from sale as seem absolutely
TO preserve the water supply
md the growth of timber.
Under the law, the state board OF land
has control Of the In
'estment Of the several land grant
unds, and | am informed that the
moneys have been invested very closely
md with good security The securities
ire principally farm mortgages and
'arious bonds, and the loans have usu-
lily been promptly paid. In some cases
here will have to be foreclosures, and !
o provide for the expense of such pro-
eedings. | would suggest that a small |
und be appropriated.
The amounts of the various funds at
resent invested are set forth below: