Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-05-07

furnish food for thought and refec-
ton to those in Idaho who are mind
full Of the education of her future
generations. Idaho is SO large ami
so new, its resources so many. and
its prosperity so great, that in the
hustle of every day life and business.
few people spared the time necessary
to become acquainted with the vast
heritage Of school lands within its
borders, except in very superficial
manner.
That thousands of acres of lands
have been disposed of illegally is a
matter of record; yet the state is now
seeking to relinquish thousands of
acres more in the same manner. The
justification for these present illegal
actions is that it has heretofore been
the custom to relinquish its school
lands, that where 16 and So were
not accessible or we're unsurveyed,
these sections were relinquished and
lieu lands selected. The value of
the school lands disposed of in this
way, except III rare instances, was
never determined. This practice be-
sides being illegal is absolutely I'M
wise. School lands worth $50 to
500 per acre have been relinquished.
and other lands have been selected
in lieu, worth less or barely as much,
as the price fixed by law for their
sale, SO per acre.
The state does not know the value
of its lands in the Bitter Root and
National Forest which it seeks to re-
linquish. These lands have not been
cruised; they may be covered with
valuable forests, or contain valuable |
or be of great value as agri-
lands, and in any case be
worth many times the minimum sale |
price; yet these lands are being re-
linquished without regard to their
present or future value. Were this |
procedure legal it would not be sound |
business policy, but unlawful as it is,
his practice is doubly to be con-
iemned.
Twenty millions of acres of Idaho |
S included within national forests, |
within which it is not now possible
or the state to make lieu selections. |
the reservations the lands |
worth $40 per acre have long since
been entered, and the state must. of |
If it continues to relinquish
is school sections, select in lieu |
hereof lands of lesser value.
The recent decision of the supreme
court in the Marble Greek cases. de-
,laring the REIMBURSEMENT of school |
sections illegal, was not, however, the |
irst declaration of the law in the |
natter More than year ago. the |
people, through the legislature, ex-
pressed their determination TO cor
.ect this evil, and define what school |
ands shall be relinQuished, and to
hat end enacted into law Senate Con-
current Resolution Number s, part |
If which reads as follows:
Whereas, the president of the
United States has by proclamation es-
ablished certain forest reserves with
n the state of Idaho embracing more |
han twenty-eight per cent of the
.otal area of the state. including sec
ions 16 and SO aforesaid, and the
department. of the in,erior has by |
rules and regulations denied the
tight of the state of Idaho to perfect
It's selections of public lands in town
ships now included in the forest re-
serves, but which were not included
within the forest reserves at the time
Of the states application for the sur
sey thereof; and
Whereas, approximately one mil
DIN acres of the land SO donated TO
the state of Idaho have not been Sc
Iected and there are not suIneleht
lnappropriated public lands within
he state of Idaho outside such forest
of the value of $40 per acre
10 enable the state to make selection
and.
Whereas, the state board of land
of Idaho have hereto
lore pretended to renounee the title
Of the state of Idaho TO certain sec
ions 16 and. SO, amounting TO more
han two hundred thousand acres |
and announces its intention Of using |
such relinquished lands as a basis Tor
making selections of other puohe
ands, and such action Of the state
board of land commissioners was not
by any act of the legisla-
lure of the state of Idaho and was IN
Of the expressed terms OF