The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-10-17
REPORT IS
INTERESTING RESUME
OF LAND OPERATIONS
Land Commissioners Gives Ac-
count of Steps Taken During
His Stewardship.

NAL report just filed with the govern
or. of Land Commissioner F. f. Brink
or a detailed history is given Of the two
years administration. and some i'm
portant recommendations are made.
When taking office two years ago Mr..
Brinker found much work before him.
THE people had recently approved q
constitutional amendment providing
for a law for leasing state lands for
farm!n purposes, and agreement had
been entered into for the exchange of
the state and in the forest reserve
Tor a compact body; congress had pro
tvided for the opening of Mellette and
Bennett counties. in which there was
6S, 900 acres of school lands which had
been allotted to the Indians, and for
which lieu lands had to be selected in
other places; and last, there was no
comprehensive law defining the duties
Of his department.
! Under his suggestion the school
land lease law vas enacted, under
which these lands are not rented at q
uniform rate for each county, but each
tract is appraised n a rental ixed
according to value. The total rentals
for the past year amounted to 1929,
731 SO, an increase of $52, 1864, in the
face of u~nfavorable conditions for
agriculture. SIT, 900 of this came from
LANDS leased for farming. Mr.. Brinker
states that additional revenue could be
secured without injury to the lands by
a minimum renta of 81 per acre, to-
gether with a bon or a half naymen:
In advance. and providing for a 20
year lease. enabling the lessee to put
up permanent improvements instead
of the present five-year limit.
The department sold 1~9,216.S3 acres
In 1911 at an average of s52.O8, and 3D.
450.4S acres in 1912 at $47.23, the lower
price in the latter year being because
of the large sale of rocky and in Day
and Marshall counties.
The great work OF the department
was exchanging of the forest reserve
school lands for compact bodies of
lands in Custer county, in the Harvey
Peak reserve. and in Harding county,
In the Short Pine Hills reserve. There
Is over 200, 600, 900 board feet Of mer-
charitable lumber in the Harvey Peak
tract, and the commissions urges the
creation of a state department Of for
estry to properly preserve it frolE fire
and pillage. This would cost much
less than the revenue.
The state has filed on SC, 645. 80 acres
in Mellette and 81. 32S. OF acres in Ben
net counties of indemnity lands ChaS.
H. Bates. government allotting agent
on the Pine Ridge reservation says
that they are a quarter OF u million
acres short of enough and for the In
dams on thIt reservation hence MI.
Brinker feels that it is imperative to-
make selections for the state in other
places. and to that end recently made
a long automobile tour through the
west part OF the state inspecting avail
able lands. The same general condi-
tons Obtain in the Rosebud, Standing
Rock and Cheyenne River reservations.
and the commissioner recommends that
the state be permitted to select its
lieu lands in II body rather than be-
ing limited to two sections to a town
ship.
The permanent school fund amounts
toss 0S7. 1873. 80, derived from the sale of
1896. O9e.7 rs acres. The sales of endow-
ment lands brings the fund under the
direction of this department up to
SIC. 1885 S1. 90. OF this S 3,916,Sf4 is still
out at 6 per cent on deferred payments
on lands, and the balance, S6,226, 1856,
is loaned out. mostly at 5 per cent. APP
plications are on hand for several nun
dred thousand dollars, for which there
are no funds. This fund has had a
decidedly beneficial effect in Keeping
down the rate of interest within the
state. S4.4S was apportioned from this
interest for every school child. This is
the largest pro rata ever, and also
represents the largest net gain.
Together with endowment funds for
educational and charitable institutions.
SS62. SAC was collected as rental and in
terest, making a grand total of S7,574.-
sol since statehood. Some S28, 2S6.10
was granted in extensions to renters
who We're unable to meet their obliga-
tons owing to the short crop of last
year