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

but by a careful selection of this enor-
nous tract of land it is safe to say
there has been added to the wealth
of our public institutions and common
schools at least 100000 There were
two matters that this administration
DENIED of vital Importance in order to
place the land department on a basis
for the future. First, that we should
have complete set of records of all
that has been done in that office since
statehood; second, that we must nave an
inventory of every acre of land owned
by the state. | mean by an inventory,
that there should be a description of
every forty acres of land owned, giving
its location, character and everything
in connection with it that would show
its real value to the state. With this
object in view, this administration has
ordered a set of books in which we hope
to have transcribed a complete record
of the land department since statehood.
In eight counties of the state there has
been a personal investigation made of
every forty acres of land owned by
the state by a competent agent, and
there is today in the land department
a record showing the true value and the
conditions of the state lands in those
counties. In the work of our land
agents in some of these counties we
have found individuals living upon
school lands that have had the free
use of it ever since statehood, never
paying a pennys rental to the state, or
any taxes to the county.
COMPARISON OF RESULTS.
These conditions are being changed
as fast as they are found in any part
of the state, and through the efforts
of our land agents this administration
has collected from rentals from state
lands $4,000 in twenty months. From
this source since statehood up to the
beginning of this administration there
had been collected from rentals only
$4,000. By the end of this admins
tration there will have been paid into
the State Treasury at least $5S,000 in
two years from this source alone, or
| So 900 more than all the other admins
trations since statehood. | find upon
careful investigation that for the first
! fourteen years of statehood, or from
the life of statehood up to January 1,
1905, there had been earned for this
state from the land department from
Ill Of C105 TTr,Iar
the reorganization of the land depart
ment during the first twenty months of
this administration of the land depart
ment has earned $324,OOO. or $3.50, 900
more than all previous administrations
since statehood While | feel that this
administration has made a splendid be-
| ginning, in the reorganization of the
| State Land Department, yet it is only a
are handled in the future as business
man would handle them they should
earn for our public institutions and our
! common schools many times as much as
they are earning today, and l can say
/ to the people of Idaho that through the
efforts of this administration in placing
| the land department on a business basis
| the next administration will be able to
cut state taxes fully 30 per cent, besides
/ increasing the amount of money paid
| into our common school funds many
times over, by any other administration.
/ During the life of statehood to the be-
ginning of this administration there had
| been paid by the state into the common
= school funds S453,OOO During this ad-
ministration there will be paid to the
common schools $271, 0O0-more than
one-half as much as all the other admin
istrations put together.
+ FREMONT COUNTY SELECTION.
One of the most important acts of
the State Land Department was the
selection of 1O2, 900 acres of agricultural
land in Fremont county. This splendid
body of land lies in the foothills of
that county | had my attention called
to this splendid body OF land
by the enormous yields on cult
waited fields in that section. This is what
is called the dry farming country of
Fremont county. 1t is a region of roll
ing hills-covered with bunch grass
and has been a paradise for livestock