The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1911-12-14
WOULD GUARD
SCHOOL FUND
Ex-Gov. w. J. Mcconnell,
Makes Pointed Appeal
to Gov. Hawley.
Hon. James II. Hawley Chairman
State Board of Land Commits

Se"sO OVdTO VI Aduu OOmmS-
sioners, Boise, Idaho.
Dear Governor:
While on recent visit to Boise
i called at your office but failed
to meet you, hence l take this op-
portunity to write you on the sub
ject which / had hoped to take III
with you in a personal interview.
The constitution of the state of
Idaho has reposed in the board of
which you are chairman, the most
sacred and far reaching trust thai
could rest on any board of state
misunderstanding and protect
ing the school fund Of the state.
When we pause and give this
subject the consideration it deser-
yes, we cannot fail to be Impress
ed by the grave responsibility at
tached to the members of this
board.
Section 2; Article 8, of the
states constitution, provides
that: "The permanent educa-
tiOnal funds, other than funds
arising from the disposition of
university lands belonging to the
state, shall be loaned on first
mortgage on improved farm lands
within the state, (and naming
other securities). Provided, tina
no loan shall be made of any
amount of money exceeding one
third of the market value of the
lands at the time of the loan. ex-
elusive of buildings
Section 3 of the same article.
provides: "The state shall sup
ply all losses thereof, that may
in any manner occur"
| was chairman Of the commit
tee on Education and School
Lands" in the constitutional con-
vention which framed the forego-
ing sections, and we thought we
had so guarded the public school
fund of the state that sit shall
forever remain inviolate and in
tact;" as specified in Section B.
But experience has shown that
even the constitution of our state,
may be rendered abortive through
the apathy Of the citizens it was
designed to protect, and the in
herent good-fellowship of the
members of the state board of
land commissioners, who, for rea-
sons of political or personal
friendship, make loans on lands
which have been too highly APP
praised.
You may perhaps remember
that l wrote to you on December
16, 1910, calling your attention
to the unfortunate tendency of |
our state boards to loan too much |
money on land, owing to reckless
appraisment, and in the same let
ter directed your attention to the
failure of previous boards to rem
edy the losses thus incurred. To
this letter, you replied, Dec. 10,
1910, in part, as follows: 1.-THE
constitutional provision with ref
erence to the irreducible school
fund has to a certain extent been
overlooked; there has been many
violations Of both it's considera-
tons, and its spirit. | shall be
very pleased if you can inform
me of any losses sustained by rea.
son of bad loans. The matter
should be Strengthened out, at
once Write me again.
In response to your request,
wrote to you again on the 22nd OF
the same month; giving you thee
details Of a loan of eighteen-hun-
dred dollars ($1800) made by the
state on the: Me- of NWA; N
" of SWH of section 35, Y. 40
NJ, R. 5 W., B. M. In this inst
ance neither loan nor interest
were paid, and on January 5,
1900, judgment was rendered in
favor of the state on foreclosure
proceedings for $2881.25. The
taxes during the intervening
years had not been paid, and
the county of Latah held title I'M
der tax sale certificate, which,
on July &c, 1905, was assigned to
the State for $647.48. Therefor
the state was out in cash, the orig
inal loan-$1 ,800-purchase of tax
certificate-$647.48 and interest
from the time the loan was made,
until the sale; which occurred on
July 10, 1901. Amounting in all
to $3528.73. While the land, as
stated, sold for only $4,000. Thus
losing $1328.73 of the money be-
longing to the children of the
state-which, under Section 3 Ar
ticle 8; of our constitution, should
ha IL n.o11