Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1908-02-28
Busy Land Board
Interesting and Valuable
Report of Important
State Department.

There is no buster, or more ably con
Quoted, or less known department of th'
state government, than the state lanC
board. The following report from NJ
|. Church, the register, will give som'
very interesting information of the worl
of the board for the last year. A full
detailed report will soon be issued II
book form.
To the Honorable State Board OF
Land Commissioners, Boise Idaho.
Gentlemen: | have the honor to sub
NIT herewith a report of the state land
department for the year 1907, showing
summary of the receipts and the dis
posal made of the same. Also a com
parative statement of the business
transacted by this department prior to
January l, 1864 period of fourteen
years from the organization of this
department, and the business transacted
from January |, 1905 to January l, 1908
"a period of three years.
The eighth session of the Idaho
legislature provided by enactment for
the organization of the State Land
Department. The State Board of
Land commissioners have since been
working under that law, and the depart
ment, it is felt, it now throughly re-
organized on a business basis. At
present the affairs of the state land
department are conducted with the
exactness of a great banking institution.
} AS in wisely administered bank, the
books are balanced every night at the
close of business, the receipts are
quickly reinvested. and a careful ac-
counting is made of expenditures
The records of the land department
are now in perfect condition. The
special grants of land by Congress for
various objects, which aggregated
668, $50 acres, have practically all been
secured, there remaining only 60 acres
still unsolicited.
A successful campaign looking to
leasing of school lands for grazing and
agricultural purposes has been waged.
The selections of lands in indemnity for
losses in the common school grant is
being prosecuted with success, and it is
hoped that by the end of the present
year the existing indemnity losses VIII
have been practally satisfied.
The total cash receipts of the land
department of the thirteen months
ending January l, 1908. was 81, 173, 49,
81. Of this amount S567, ,095. go was by
reason of repayment of investments,
and S6O6, ,O24. 60 on account of land and
timber, interests on deferred payment,
rentals, interests on investments, Carey
Act and land Office fees, cts. The
cost of conducting the department
during the year 1907, was S27, 56l.05.
On January l, 1908, the investment
account showed that the department IN
possession of state warrants, bonds,
and farm loans, aggregated 81, O75, 6o6.-
O5. In addition there was an unpaid
balance on account of land sales OF
81, ,534. .029. .76. These deferred pay
ments drew interest at the rate of 6 per
cent per annum. The actual invest
ments of the funds drawing interest on
January 1,190S, was consequently 49,
500, 1851.
During 1907 there were sold of
special grant lands, 8, ,877.9l acres for
S1O1, $685. and of common school
lands, 18, ,238.60 acres, for s26l, S3l.65. |
During the year 46, 555.96 acres were
leased five years, rentals collected
amounting to Ss,S79.SS, and 10, 234. %
acres for one year, So, 254. 10 rental col
Iected. Timber on 80, 677.30 acres of
state land was sold for $3.50, 1862. 80.
The policy of the department in the
sale of timber has been TO dispose of
only scattered taacts, likely to loss by
fire. The large bodies of timber lands
have been held intact.
During 1907 the state selected in
satisfaction of its special grants and
common school land losses 81, $50 acres,
all but 25O0 acres being indemnity
selections.
For the purpose of showing some the
advantages that have resulted from
the reorganization of the department
under the law of 1905, the following
comparison of the work of the state
land department from January l. 1901 {
to January l, 1905 fourteen years, and
from January |, 1905 to January /,
1906 three years, are submitted.
During the fourteen years prior to
} Ianuary l, 1905, there were selected of I
the sneeial grants 63S. 474. SO acres