The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-16
WASTING THE LAND GRANTS.

Tic Tribune Yesterday morning had
one Of what will he number OF ar
ticlcs showing the unthrift and inn
provident management by this state of
thc noble land grants given TO it by
Congress. The particular subject dealt
with Yesterday was the capitol land
grant. Is appears that practically moth
ing of this land grant is left. and thai
the lands granted have been sold for
a mere tride. Undoubtedly the sales of
lands granted 10 this State have been
of the most reckless and improvident
character. And this applies to ali OF the
lands, as we'll as TO the capitol grant.
| But it is the public schools that suf
fer the most from thc frittering away
of their rights in The lands granted by
| Congress Two scctions in every town
ship were donated by Congress for the
benefit Of the public schools Of the
State. \ good many Of these sections
were of the hest and most valuable
lands in thc State These school lands
had been occupied in many cases, for
from forty TO fifty years. and in all
that time, by reason of tho fact that
thc title was still in the Government.
the occupants escaped all taxes on the
land, This was n tremendous advantage
and should have been taken into con
sidcration when the lands were ap-
praised aud sold, but it was not There
was 10 requirement that back taxes
should be made up for the benefit of
the State or the school fund; there was
no requirement shat even approx
matcly the market price should be paid
for those lands, this being in many
cases as high as 500 10 $500 an acre;
but they were handed over to the oc.
cupants for the smallest possible frac
tion of their values; the Government
rate Of one dollar and twenty-five cents
or two dollars and fifty cents per acre
And so school fund that ought TO have
amounted away up in the millions
yields but a few paltry ten thousands;
and the income from the fund so crc-
ated is q mere nothing compared with
the princelv yearly sum that ought to
have been derived from this source.
There is no doubt but that colluson,
favoritism. and graft have stalked with
giant strides through these transac-
tions. And this despite all protests that
could be made, and all advice that was
meant to conserve the public interests
and the school interests in these land
grants. In the course of the articles
which The Tribune is going TO print
on this reckless waste of great public
values and deplorable giving away of
public rights, we expect to develop a
good deal Of crookedness, of favoritism,
and Of actual robbery of the public.
The mismanagemcnt of the capitol
fund has been markedly reckless and |
wastcful, aud now the land is almost |
all gone, and we have no capitol and no |
start for a CAPITOL; in fact, the land |
that was expected TO provide funds for
building the capitol, has provided but !
IL small percentage of the sum needed. |
But il was supposed at the time
of this grant of one hundred |
sections of land TO build a
State capitol, that the sales of this
that capitol. And with proper business
Judgment, due forcthought. and sound |
handling in the public interest. there |
can be no doubt but the land would |
have answered that purpose, without
the least necessity for calling upon the !
people TO go down into their pockets |
30 build State capitol. But if it is !
take that consolation TO its bosom. in
the knowledge that it is not alone in
this waste and misuse of Congressional |
land grants. for pretty much all of the |
States have followed the same evil |