, 1907-01-09
KS TO THE NINTH WYOMING LEGISLATURE

mends new or amendatory legislation
for the cure of defects which he has
discovered in the practical operation
OF the laws, To these | invite your
attention, though unable for lack of
time to upon them spe-
officially. Aside from the duties re-
CURED under the law, the attorney
general has freely advised county.
school and municipal officers when.
ever requested, II has cheerfully n
swered all questions Of q public char
acter which have been received from
remote settlements or communities
having no resident attorneys. He has
acted i~ntelligently. vigorously and
properly upon all questions referred
to him, and his report will show that
he has rendered to the state faithful
and efficient service. The state is bet
ter off by many thousand dollars as a
result of his ability and energy.
State Engineer.
II Is a pleasure to invite your at
%tentiOn to so exhaustive and admir-.
able report as that which has peer
filed by the state engineer for the
years 1905-06. 1t deals, in the most
complete and intelligent manner
with a subject of paramount import
ance to our people. Our permanent
prosperity depends upon how quickly
and correctly we solve the great irri-
CATION problems which confront MS.
Wyoming is on the verge of an agTi.
cultural development which will place
her foremost among the Western
states in the variety and volume of
crop production. More lands have
been included under permits granted
by the state engineer during the past
two years han are under irrigation in
all Wyoming at the present time. He
has issued l,473 permits covering L.
777.2lS acres which provide for 1879
miles of main canals at an estimated
cost of $9,439.S24.OO; also 3i3 reser-
voir permits as against SIS issued in
the fourteen preceding years.
The state engineer estimates that
when all reclamation expenses are
added, the total cost for construction
of all the bitches and reservoirs for
which permits have been granted dur.
the past two years will approximate
$50, 900. 10000. The fees of this Of
ce during the past two years AMOUNT
ed to $7,905.71.
This report refers to the operation
of the United States land laws and
the work of the United States recla-
nation service; also to the operation
of the Carey Act, and makes some
valuable suggestions to which your
attention is invited. The plans for
the irrigation of the ceded portion of
the S%hoshone Indian reservation. over
which there has been a triling discus
sion, are set forth in detail.
Splendid reports from the four wa
ter division superintendent are in
cluded in his report. BY systematic
ing their work, and aided by larger
contingent funds. the division superin-
tendents have performed more work
in the past two years than was ac-
complished in the six years preceding
that time.
The Commissioner of Public Lands.
{ This Office was created by the last
legislature for The purpose of consoli-
dating the several land departments
under one head, and this official has
the general management and SUPER
vision of the land business of the
, state.
, 1t has not been the policy of the
boards Of the land commissioners to
exact the highest possible rentals,
nut TO ask for such equitable rentals
as will enable them to distribute to
''N wv" AAtilAio nv llNDlle W WHICH
they are entitled. In cases where
competitive bids have been filed for
lands, rentals in excess of the average
have been obtained for many tracts
a~dvantageously located.
In 1896 the total amount received
from the state lands was S23, 524.
while in 1906 the state received $751;
$500. We have 1,0S0,723 acres of
school land, Sections l6 and So, still
Unbiased, and 81, 70S acres of granted
lands. 2,Ol4,3l9 acres of land leased
at an average valuation of 10 cents
per acre bring in an annual rental os
SS2,6l5.OO for our common schools.
595,SOI acres granted lands, leased at
an average valuation of "a cents per
acre, produce S2S,OS7.S2 for our var.
iOuS state institutions.
Our common schools are greatly
benefited by the annual disbursement
of these rentals, which in 1906
amounted TO Sll5,S54.00; the sale OF
timber n collection of back rentals
adding considerably to the fixed e n
ais, and showing a heavy increase
over he 7l,144.00 distributed in 1904.
J me increase has given an opportunity
for a reduction in district taxes or
better schools and longer terms.
The board adopted the policy of re.
fusing TO sell state lands eXcept
where it seemed to be to the advant.
age OF the state. or in order to assist
in the states development. In no
case has it been the policy of the
board to sell the better portion of a
school section, or other tract, thereby
rendering the remainder of less value
for rental purposes. None of our coal
or mineral lands have been sold dur.
ing the past two years, but a number
of leases have been executed upon n
royalty basis, from which the state
expects to obtain a fair income. as n
minimum royalty is charged whether
or not the mines are producers.
The portion of the commissioners
report covering the Arid Land depart,
ment gives a clear and concise state
ment Of the exact condition of each
irrigation project. Eight new segre-
cations have been made during the
past two years, a~ggregating over POO.
600 acres; making a total of 66S, 6S5