The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1906-11-06

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preparation of $11,5OO was made for its
maintenance, and it is a source of graf
ihcation for me to say that for the years
1906 and 7 the State Engineers office
will earn at least SIS, 200, or S., 800 more
than the cost of maintenance.
STATE LAND OFFICE REOR-
CANNED.
The most important measures of all
those passed by the Eighth session were
those for the reorganization of the
State Land Department, for upon the
economical and businesslike administra-
ton of this department depends large
ly the welfare of every institution of
the state. When Idaho was admitted
into the Union, congress gave to the
whole area of the state Let us pause
for moment to see what One-eighteenth
of the whole State of Idaho means for
our common schools. This is more than
100000 acres of land. The minimum
price that these lands can be sold for
under our constitution is $1,000 an acre
This represents the enormous sum of
more than $3O,OOO,OOO. 1t is true that
fully one-ha1f of this enormous grant
! is practically worthless, yet | believe
with the proper management, nearly
every section can be made to earn some
thing for the common schools, and in
time if business forethought is used in
connection with this great grant, there
should be a fund at hand of at least
$15,OOO,OO0. Besides giving one-eight-
zenith of the State of Idaho to our COM
mon schools, Congress gave to our pub
lie institutions 66S,000 acres of land.
Besides this there has been given to
Idaho 100000 acres under the Carey
Act The supervision of all those enor-
nous grants is in the hands of the State
Land Board, and it is safe to say rep
resents the enormous sum of fully $780,
100000. There is a sad story connected
with these grants. | regret very much
that it falls to my lot to advise you of
the condition of the land department and
the selection of lands for our public in
situations by past administrations. How
ever, l feel that you should know
the truth and that your interest should
be awakened to what these enormous
grants mean to our public institutions
and common schools, so that in the
future you will ever keep a watchful
eye over the administration of these
splendid endowments given us by the
general government At the beginning
of this administration, practically all of
the special grant lands had been select
ed, but a careful inquiry into those Sc
lections has disclosed an unfortunate
condition for our public institutions
One of the first acts of this admins
tration was to make an effort for the
REIMBURSEMENT of $4,000 acres that had
been selected by a previous adninistra-
ton but had not yet been decided to the
state 1t was found that this tract of
land was practically worthless. 1t was
found, too, that some of it had been
selected as timber land for our State
University, that did not have a tree
growing upon it and was rough barren
hillsides covered with brush. After a
hard fight and with the assistance of
Senator Hepburn, the government al
lowed us to relinquish this $4,000 acres
of land, and there has been selected in
its place some very valuable agricultural
and timber land the present value of
which, as estimated by our appraisers,
is three-quarters of a million dollars.
| have a letter with me from Mr..
D. w Ross. Some of you no doubt
know Mr. Ross and many have heard
of him He has charge of the govern
ment reclamation service in Idaho. l
am informed by him that the govern
ment surveys of the state around and
in the vicinity of the government pro-
4 iects, show that there has been selected
for public institutions by past admins
trations over 10000 acres of worthless
lands, either through the lack of water
or being entirely too high on the hill
| sides and mountain tops for water to
reach This only tells a part of the
/ story in southern Idaho, and it is safe
to say that of the $4,000 acres OF
lands selected by past administrations,
/ fully 225, 900 of it in northern and south
ern Idaho is absolutely worthless.
l regret very much to have to tell
you so sad a story, but not only has
/ the interest of the state been lost sight
of in the selection of lands, but prac-
tically in every other branch of the land
| department. This administration has
practically given up a greater part OF
its time to try and place the land de-
partment on an economical business
basis. In the first place we insisted on
/ the employment of competent men tor
the selection of lands for our public IN
situations. Not an acre of land is Sc
/ lected without a careful investigation
and a report made to the state board be
fore it is filed on by the state. 1t 1t Is
timber, a careful estimate is made OF
the number of thousand feet, the class
and quality and logging conditions OF
every forty acres, before it IS accepted
and placed to the credit of any OF ouI
public institutions In this way the state
has selected 100000 acres OF valuable
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