The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-18
MILLIONS LOST TO
STATE; GIVEN away
ImbeciIe Management of Board
of Land Commissioners Is
the Cause.
GREAT HERITAGE TO
PEOPLE Is WASTED
Government Now Taking Re-
linquishment for Coal, Civ
ING Entrymen Surface.

iHS LHtl HUI tDul ldCt.
- Had the state of Utah through its
board of land commissioners. not frit
tered away, not given away. not taken
IN the sisters and cousins and auuts and
other relatives Of the board and given
them The public lands which the gov
ernment of the United States gave the
state, Utah would have been the richest
state in the union; it would have had a
school fund that would have been the
envy of the country. But in order that
these relatives might become rich
might grab section or two of the
state lands for practically nothing, the
state has lost aud magnificent hcri-
tage TO the people has disappeared
Had this board of land commits
sioners not been so greedy, not So anx-
lous to aid relatives. thousands of acres
Of coal lands in the state given the
state by Uncle Sam would today have
been the property Of the state Of Utah
and the state would have been richer
by millions and millions Of dollars.
Anxious to Help Utah.
1.-The government was anxious TO
help Utah. 1t hid been in n condition
Of strife and turmoil for years, hence
when statehood was finally granted I'm
Gle Sam was unusually generous toward
Utah and the land grants TO the state
were exceptionally large In these
grants were perhaps half n million
acres Of coal lands that today are worth
al fair figure two hundred and fifty
million dollars
Had the state board of land com
missloners disposed of these lands at
even $40 per acre there is little likeli-
mood that the government would have
1ntcriered, but patent would have is
sued Tor The Iauds. AS 1T is, patent did
issue Tor thousands of acres Of coal
Jands. sold at S1.25 to 500 per acre.
AT least 100000 acres, however. were
not patented and the applications which
had been approved by the state land
board were held up in the general land
Oihce, and the lands sought were
classed as coal lands The gov,
erhhent, mark you, was receiving $40
an acre for the coal lands owned by
the United States ut the same time The
state OF Utah was selling their lands
at 81 20 per acre aud less Owing TO the
greed of the state board of land com.
mlssloners Utah has not only lost mil
hons and millions in the sale of coal
lands; which have been patented. but it
now loses many millions more. This is
due TO REIMBURSEMENT of coal rights by
Statement Made by Utahn.
This was the statement made TO The
Tribune Wednesday by well known
uiahh, VINO is thoroughly convcrsaut
with conditions here and with the
methods which have been pursued by
the state board of land commissioners
In recent stories which have been
printed IN The Tribune. mention has
been made of suspense fund and
special fund In the hands of the land
board. This fund consisted of first
payments made by applicants for state
lands, which lands or entries have not
been approved by the general land Of
flee, but which have been approved
by the state land board and the fed
rral land office in Salt Lake These
Two funds aggregated on November 81
last year TO SlS4,05650. Some of these
lands have been tied up for several
years awaiting approval.
Coal Lands Certified Up.
On February 90. 1908, the state
board of land commissioners filed with
the general land office in Washington.
list No, 80, in which selections Of land
were made under the grant for the
Deaf and Blind asylum. Among the
lands selected in this list was the
south half of section 81 and the south
half of section 80, township 12 south,
range 10 east. This land was believed
by the general land office TO be coal
land. Mineral experts were sent TO
examine 1T, and their report was TO the
effect that it was coal land, and 1T was
SO classified at $50 to $50 per acre,
Sixty days notice was given the state,
from June g. TO show cause why such
selection should not be cancelled.
Mark you, the state board of land
commissioners had certified this tract
rs nonmineral land.
Later on October 10 the state hav"
ing made showing, further action was
deferred until a further investigation
he made by a spccial agent. The
state had agreed TO surrender all rights
TO any mineral or coal, and take only
surface rights, If an act providing
therefore passed congress. Thousands
gore into the hands of relatives and
favoritcs prior TO this at nominal
sum. i'll reality gift.
Surface Rights Of Entrymen.
The last congress passed law
(housc resolution 24S3D for the pro
lection Of the surface rights Of entry
men. This law reads as follows:
Be it enacted by the senate and house
Of representatives. of the United states
any person who has IN good faith To-
Gated. selected. or entered under the
noumineral land laws of the United
States any lands which subsequently are
classified, claimed or reported as being
valuable for coal, may. If he shall SO elect
and upon making satisfactory proof of
compliance with the laws under which
such lands are claimed. receive patent
therefor which shall contain reseTva-
ton To the United States OF all coal In
said lands. and the right 10 prospect for.
minc. and remove the same. The coal
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