Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1908-05-30
VALUATION TOOLOW
SAYS HAPGOOD
Censures Land Commission
ers for Low Appraisement
of College Lands.

In regard to the appraisement of the
Brewster Flat lands, belonging to the
Washington State College, at $40 an
acre, Harvey Hapgood says:
81, and doubtless numbers of other
men. would like to know why-after
this land has lain so long in its pres
ent state, and just when that section
of the state is awakening to the efforts
of the homeseeker, and when the Great
Northern, recognizing that fact, is,
with no other inducements, to build
line from Wenatchee to Oronfio within
a year or two, at the most-should the
land commissioners insist upon this
sale being consummated, and at the
ridiculous price of $40 an acre.
sit cannot be possible that the
present land commissioners are not
aware of present values of land suscep-
tible to irrigation. If such is the case,
however, they cannot plead ignorance
longer, as some of the best posted men
in the state on this subject have ex-
pressed their views that Brewster Flat
land at five times its valuation would
be cheap, and every man who ever
bought a foot of such land in the north
west knows the same.
"If the company that desires to get
control of these lands had in view only
the watering of these lands it might
run the cost per acre up to somewhere
near the estimate, though it is ques-
tion if these figures could not be shad-
ed considerably, but they have filed on
a valuable water right, upon which
they are spending just money enough
to keep the title clear, and which they
can use to generate power to pump
water on lot of land opposite Brew
ster, and also water by gravity on
land farther south, making in all, as
understand it, about 30 acres.
This will cut materially the cost per
acre for water. Their cost for the
canal and laterals should not be based,
then, upon the O,00O acres of school
land alone.
"lf the present land commissioners
have no better knowledge of the value
of lands susceptible to irrigation than
they have displayed in this instance,
it might be we'll for them to call this
sale off and get posted. If there is a
reasonable doubt in the minds of a
number of men posted on such values
in this state, who handle such lands
every day, why should these commits
sloners insist the land must go at this
hgure? Mr.. Ross stated that he knew
the land would go for many times this
valuation. If he thinks this he must
think that the lands are worth that
much more, as he would not sell at
pubic auction property at $50 or $100
that he knows to be worth only $40.
Then, If he thinks they will sell
for many times the valuation he and
the other members of the commission
placed upon them, which was not even
SlO per acre, but the astonishing sum
OF from So to 81, why don't he sell
tnem for what he honestly thinks and
knows them to be worth. The people
would like an expression from the
members of the land commission on
this point.
II this sale had slipped through
We would have had to swallow our
medicine and look pleasant and say it
was foxy deal, but the people were
nOt asleep this time and have caught
some one with the goods. The people,
vie taxpayers, and especially the tax
payers who have children and wish to
save as much of the great and grand
tVun'fy as Is possible for them and
"eir descendants, should insist now
mat the purchasers of this land come
through with an honest price, or else
make the land commissioners, each and
very one, accountable if the graft
goes throrob ,,