Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1910-04-30
made Their REPORT
LEGISLATIVE Committee In
VESTIGATION FINISHED.
Timber Lands of State of Washington
Were Plundered During the Past
Will Try to Recover Money Due the
State-Investigat Has Cost About
,000-Make Recommendation.

Olympia.-The legislative investi-
eating committee IS report to Governor
M. E. Hay states that for years pur-
chases of state timber lands have sys-
tematically plundered the state
through laxity, incompetency or dis
honesty of the employees of the state
land department.
Although the time at the disposal of
the committee was not sufficient, the
report says, to reveal all the frauds per
petrated on the state through its land
department, nearly 200 cases have been
found in which the state inspector made
erroneous reports of the amount of tim
Der cruised.
The evidence collected by the COM
mittee will be turned over to the at
torney general, with recommendation
that he take prompt steps to recover
the money due the state.
The system used was simple Appli-
cation was made for a tract of land and
state cruiser was sent to inspect the
timber. Upon the report of the
cruiser the land commission appraised
the land. In many cases, says the re-
port, fractional part of the actual
timber was reported, and valuable tim
Der land was sold for a song. The re-
port covers land sold in Chehalis, Cow
litz, King, Lewis, Skagit, Pierce, Sno-
homish, Thurston, Wapikatum and Pa
ciic counties.
The committee has expended only
$4,000 of the $4,000 appropriated at
the extraordinary session of the 1909
Legislature, and there will revert to the
general fund about $4,000 Of the APP
preparation.
The committee, whose task il was TO
investigate state institutions and de
partments, is composed of Senator p l..
Allen (ehairman), Senator II. O. Fish.
back and Representatives ~. G. Ne
Master, Howard ID. Taylor and J. C.
Hubbell.
State systematically Defrauded.
its recommendation continue:
1.-The looseness and laxity Of the land
laws, the dishonesty, incompetency and
ineiiieiency Of cruisers, together with
other conditions, convince the commit.
tee that the state has been. for years
Systematically defrauded, and the PEG.
pie OF the state have lost millions OF
dollars by the sale OF state and timber
lands for grossly and ridieulously made.
quate consideration. Reliable cruises
that have been made under our direc.
ton disclose that careless, inaecurate
and perhaps dishonest cruises hereto
fore made by state cruisers, have a..
suited in the loss 10 the state OF great
amounts Of money, running into ineFedi.
bic hgures.
schools Good
% ln addition "a che foregoing iTTegu
larliief, another source 0f oven gIeateI
loss 10 the stats has been ~ poor
judgment disclosed in ihe selection ~
Indemnity school lands and stats
gfapfed lands. a sirking insiapce ~
ihis Haf iAe selection, durRg enc years
NJ 1901 Az 1904 py representative "
the state land commissioner, NJ about
10000 aelef NJ land ~ kliiiiaf county
AZ ihlf Claus There Nas atullahle fol ~
lection p lsIsf nlen vi valuable ilulel
nnd agricultural hand in iAe state.
f' inHiead uf scouting fol iAe pene
An w lAf people NJ iNp fiaif, iAf,l lal.
ual|f Hnlf' llf laud commissioner and
hlf lnfpffipu made ihfl selection.
ilnn practically npilN'f.l grazing
laHaf loealed M AN lI|llow NJ fHN
iNl county INfaN HNNl lN arlN0IlN aIa