The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-17
BUSINESS IDEAS
ARE PUT IN FORCE
Changes Made in Method Of
Keeping Accounts of State
Land Board.
SECRETARY FARNSWORTH
KEEPING TAB ON FUNDS
Receipts Are Given for Moneys
Paid Into the Suspense
Fund.

For the first time since The state
lind board of Utah was created some
real business ideas have been injected
into the financial end of the land Office
by the new secretary of the board, Will
liam n. Farnsworth Heretofore when
an application TO purchase land was
made aud the applicant paid in his first
payment, no receipt was given. hut
pinned 10 the application was small
slip or tag. Should this he torn off or
misplaced record as TO the payment. to
sav the least. became somewhat vague
According to the last report Of the
state board OF land commissioners, dat
ed January |. 1909, the payments of
this character and which are known as
the suspense fund, amounted on the
3Oth day of November last 10 $50.
52S.32 This amount was from appli-
cations pending selection or action bv
the board
in addition 10 this was special
fund of $94 ,52S.l4, being the amount
on hand November 30, 1908, from ap-
piications and selections annroved BY
Inc board and pending approval OF the
general land Office at Washington or
total of SlS4 ,05650.
Modern Method introduced.
Now. when an applicant makes his
payment he is given a receipt for tho
amount paid duplicate receipt is at
tachcd TO the papers and a triplcaie Is
left in the receipt book, From this
latter an entry is made on An individu-
al ledger and the applicant in reality
becomes .depositor with the state land
board. as ne would with bank. The
receipts are check against error, pro-
tect the applicant aud also the state
so that when a trial balance is taken
nj the end of the month there is nc
question about the fund. When the ap
pncation is approved or rejected the
land Office as VOL as the applicant has
absolute knowledge Of the payment.
Another lnnov alton IS the fees as pro-
vidcd by the statute are collected.
Heretofore the payment Of fees has, it
is said, not been exacted. Section 952
Of the compiled laws of Utah provides
thus;
Fees OF board of land commissioners.
For making each lease of agricultural
lands. 81.
For making each lease Of ali other lsnds,
including grazing lands, So
For each certificate OF purchase. g;
for additional certificate issued on the
same purchase TO the same party 81.
For copy OF any resolution. record or
other document or paper on file in office:
II cents for making certified copies OF
papers or records, the same fees AZ are
charged by the secretary OF state for
Ike services.
This fee bill is now being enforced.
There are no agricultural land leases,
but the other items of fees are being
eXacted. Should the board direct or or
der a purchase of land cut into 40-acre
tracts when the purchaser has bought
$40 acres the charge now IS 81 for each
certificate or S32 for the sixteen certlf-
Gates Thus the state gets what the
law says 1t shall.
Published Reports Are Vague
The published reports OF the board
are vague, in that it is difficult 10 ne
cipher them. There arc too many
tables. Let any one take up the re-
port transmitted 10 the governor on
January ] last and undertake to trace
anything through IT and the person
seeking information IS lost IN the maze
of tabular statements which are mean
ingless. The object Of reports of pub
lie officials is to impart information to
give publicity. to show what rs done
and how and what disposition is made
Of the funds, if there arc any. From the
records in the state board OF land com
missioners, The Tribune has obtained
statement Of tho condition of the sew
eral land grant funds, as related TO tne
educational institutions OF the stare a,
the close OF business on November 80,
1908. This exhibit in gross follows the
old university grant included;
,oroe selected " .261 sT33i
Ncrcs soId J. All 075le
Sale prlce ..............., S2,9l3,sIs1s
Payment received on sale oooo-e ~
(principaD 80 ..,.-,.-...;. i'"'''o'''''
Pa{ment {1erns, received ." ~ 2asssl77
Rental from leases .-...,.... ,ess'I7tts,sy
Fund invested :..,..-''.'-'-' 'saS ~ ia