The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1909-10-14
Suit for State Lands
Forestry Bureau Has Confscated Vast
Areas of idaho Property That
May Yet Be Recovered.

r that sections 16 anG Sc Of each towns
ship should accrue 20 the state for
school purposes. Some years later,
with the creation Of national forests,
the forestry officials have Invariably
denied the ownership where such sec
tions were included in the reserves.
The state Of idaho is getting pret-
.y well up on its lieu land selections.
as it has in the pas, three years
made an especial e.sort to close up
its old land grants for the various
specific purposes Still, there is con
siderable land still due the state, and
the plastering Of forest reserves ov-
er practically all the unoccupied land
of the state has made it very diff
cult to find enough lands to fulfill
the land grants guaranteed to the
state at the time of admission to
statehood Since it seems to be the
policy Of Secretary Baliinger to adj
NIT the states prior right to these
granted lands, even where the for
est reserve had claimed certain lands
in advance of the state, it is very
probable that the same policy Will
be followed in Idaho as well as in
Montana. The cases are exactly sim
liar The states can not apply for
or file on the lanAs until they are
surveyed; along cosnes the forestry
bureau and claims them without
survey-and the states are left la
menting, All the state school lands
are included in these reserves; lands
pledged in perpetuity to the schools
of the state. The states claim to
these selections 16 and SO, even
though the surveys have not yet been
made, are inalienable- except where
dealing with an irresponsible organi-
zation like the forestry bureau But
with the Secretary of the Interior
willing to give the states their rights,
there may be a change
The loss OF these state lands IS
the sorest grievance the people Of
Idaho have against the forestry bu-
reau. The state lands, those pledg-
ed to the state by the general gov
ernment almost before Pinchot was
born, can be taken from the state
only by the most flagrant violation
OF every law of juctice and OF right
And the states right to select its
other special grant lands is almost
as clear case. The state cannot
select its lands until the government
has them surveyed, even though its
claim to the lands is absolute as If
it had a deed on record But the
forestry bureau has intervened and
kept the state from It's opportunity
to fill out its land grants on the
lands worth while If all the reserve
lands We're really forest, or even for
estable lands, it would perhaps he
little more reasonable, If not more
just. But since so much acreage-of
me state is covered by reserves, that
is not either fore=- or forestable.
Idaho has been robbed shamefuly
oy the general government or rather
BY the few enthusiasts at the head
IF this one department.
The eastern Supporters of the for
'stry bureau seem to nave lost sight
If the main fact in the Ballinger-
'inchot controversy that the gem
'ral government has no right 10
weIch on its contracts for specific
performance OF duty to the states. It
las contracted with Idaho to give
hese sections 16 and 30 to the Ida
10 school fund; it has contracted 10
1--WE the state certain other land
'rants for specified purposes, ike
he state capitol fund, the state uni
ersity fund, the asylum fund, and
ther public service funds BY claIaa-
1g the reserves as 1ney are laid OIL,
he state is defrauded OF more th.sn
alf million acres Of land that is
pecifically, and the right to select
sveral hundred thousands OF acres
other lands that are indirectly but
OF less fairly, guaranteed 20 tae
ate. 1t doesn't matter to any ore
sc what Idaho does with her lands
icy belong to the state. and oven IL
Iaho destroyed every tree: every RI
sr. every rock. they belong 10 lda-
as much as any state owns its
Tn lands aud buildings, or as any
al owns his osHs eI ]. ssssss. ].
,ne; and IT is no case for any 7ofe
claim public policy as -sainst