Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-07-09
STATE Land BOARD
TRIFLES WITH SETTLERS
Gov. Brady Would Postpone Action in
Fremont County Until after Primaries

BOISE. Idaho, July 9.-The tactics
Of the state land board in the last
few days in regard to the selection Of
state lands in Fremont county have
been the subject Of serious discus
sion on the part OF the voters Of
Boise and Ada county and in fact
the southern part Of the state. These
lands are now and have been settled
upon by those people who are friend
" to Brady in spite OF the fact that
notice has been given to the people
in Fremont county that the state
land board had no recourse in the
matter, and that these people who
went on the lands after the order Of
survey had been made had no rights
whatever.
The matter is Of vital Importance
to the people OF Fremont county. ii
has been up before the state land
board several times during the last
three months and the majority or
the board has RETAINED from taking
definite action According to the de-
cision Of the supreme court Of Ida
no, and the settler regulations, the
state has mo recourse in the matter
whatever After 1t makes its sur
vey 1t has sixty days preference
right. When the state ordered the
survey made notice was printed in
the papers In that part of the state
that no more settlers should 60 on
the land. In spite Of this, ninety
FIVE settlers went on these lands and
selected various sections which they
eare now improving. Prior to the
time that the state decided to select
the lands in this county there had
been only twenty settlers and the
state land board, at meeting some
months ago, decided to give these
settlers preference right for selec-
ton.
While it is generally conceded
among those conversant with land
matters that the state can do moth
ing other than select lands decided
upon and while the matter has been
thTeshed over to some extent, it still
remains that the state land board is
not disposed to antagonize the men
and voters in Fremont county TO the
extent OF ordering them on the lands
which belong to the state OF Idaho.
The matter came to a more definite
conclusion on June 29th, when. at a
meeting of the state land board,
petition was received bearing the sig
nature of eight hundred voters of
Fremont county, asking that the
state wave its rights to the lands in
the townships designated. Imme-
diately there was a heated discussion
and Secretary OF State Robert LaIfs-
don introduced the following resolu-
ton.
Il move that all settlers settling
in township ). north, range AZ east,
before the state applied for survey,
be allowed their selections and that
the settlers locating on these lands
after the date OF the states request
for survey be notified that the state
land board viii make the states Sc
lection in compliance with its resolu-
ton"
The impression among politicians
favorable to both Brady and o'Neil
alike and also among democrats is
that the state land board has feared
to do its duty to the people OF the
state by even considering the bids
and that to grant sixty days to the PEE
titioners for further investigation OF
the matter in view of the several
meetings which have been held in
respect to it. is that It is political
move on the part of Brady and the
ether members Of the land board. with
the exception OF Lansdon, to defer
the matter until after the primary
election and thereby. If possible. Sc
cure the votes Of the eight hundred
petitioners in that country.
To the fair minded voters Of the
state the following statements in re-
gard to the resolution Of Lansdon
are justified:
Governor Brady: Il am opposed
to the resolution for the reason that
I believe the settlers OF the state are
entitled to further concession Of this
matter than We have been able to