The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-01-27
IMPORTANT Law
PROPOSED FRIDAY
AN IMPORTANT BILL INTRO-
DUCED IN STATE SENATE
IN REGARD TO LAND

officials Have Operated for 10 Years
Without Warrant of Law But New
Rill intended to Clarity Situa ion
TIE Rights of the State Are to BE
Established.
Friday morning a week ago a most
;r,oortant hill was introduced in the
state senate. This bill is intended 10
clarity the situation in regard to the
state lands Idaho has heritage IN
public lands estimated to approximate
$50 OOOOOO in value. The land was
given the state on its admission to
statehood. Sections 10 and 80 IN All
the public domain was the tree silt
to the state. Where these sections
were undesirable for any cause or
where they were occupied by actual
settlers, the state was given the pow
er to relinuuish them and take in lieu
of them other sections that were more
desirable or sections that were free
from settlers.
Power to dispose Of these lands;
to sell them at pubic auction; to re-
linuuish them and take other lands IN
exchange was vested by the constitu-
ton of the state in the state board OF
land commissioners. But, untortun-
ate1y, those provisions of the constr
tuition were never written into the
statutes of the state. and for nineteen
wears the state board of land commits
sioners have been proceeding regu-
larly under the constitution but with
out warrant in state law.
Naturally, this led to confusion.
The state board of land commission
ers, the state legislature, the supreme
court of the state and the commission
err of the general land office in Wash
inpton have wrought wonders in the
last nineteen years in the way Of get
ting Idaho's state lands tangled.
But now all this is to be remedied,
A measure was presented in the SEN
ate Friday that means more to the
peace and welfare of the state than
can we'll be realized. 1t will place the
stamp of approval on what has been
done by the state board of land com
missioners in the nineteen years it
has been operating under the consti-
tuition. 1t will go further. 1t will
clearly define the powers and privi-
leges of the state land board for the
future and confer upon it the undoubt
ed power to relinquish any of the sec
tons 10 and SO still owned by the
state, where it is to the advantage of
the state to relinquish them, and take
other lands in lieu of the lands re-
linquished Under the measure if it
becomes law the state board of land
commissioners will be empowered to
enter the forest reserves and take its
selections If the sections 10 and SO
are worthless they may be relin-
pushed to the general government
and better lands taken for them.
Taken in Connection with the bill
Thos, R. Hamer succeeded in getting
through the house of representatives
at Washington, and which it is now
thought will pass the senate at the
present session in spite of the deter
mined efforts in opposition by Sena-
tor Weldon B. Hepburn, this meas
ure to be introduced in the Idaho SEN
ate will completely clear the atmos-
phere with reference to the public
school lands 1t will clear up the
Marble creek muddle and establish
the rights of the state there without
leaving possible chance for a quib-
BILE. 1t will clear up the controversy
now raging over the forest reserve.
1t will relieve a situation that at one
time threatened to become badly
strained.
1t is difficult to overestimate the
value of the measure under discus
sion A law of the kind contemplated
has become absolutely essential if
the state is not to lose public lands of
tremendous value. The necessity for
the law was never so apparent as pow,
The developments of the past two
years have opened the eyes of many
of the brightest men of the state.
They clearly see now the danger that
confronts the state, and they seem
ready to do all that is necessary to be
done to save the magnificent heritage
of Idaho.
The memorial to congress adopted
unanimously in the senate Thurs
day has a direct bearing upon this
matter. 1t urged congress to hurry
through the Hamer bill that has been
lodged in the senate since last May
because of the influence of Senator
Hepburn. The law will clearly es-
fnh IL