The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1912-06-13
GREAT VICTORY GAINED FOR.
IDAHO'S SCHOOL INTERESTS
Order Signed by President for Selection of 100000 Acres
of Timber Land Valued at
$3OOOOOO.

the greatest Victories Idaho has
ever won was recorded last week
at Boise in a brief but important
message from Associate Forester
Potter to Governor Hawley, to
the effect that President Taft had
signed the order agreed upon by
representative Idaho officials sent
to Washington, consisting of
Governor Hawley, Attorney Gen
eral McDougall and Land Com
missioner Day to confer with the
president, the district forester and
the secretary of the interior In
brief President Taft will so amend
the proclamation of former Presi-
dent Theodore Roosevelt as to
eliminate 100, 600 acres of land in
the st. Joe national forest allow
ing Idaho the right to claim
school indemnity selections 16 and
36 and title to 100000 acres Of
the finest white pine timber in
the world, worth $3,00O,000 to
pass TO Idaho. State Land Com
missioner Day received "a dupli-
cate message.
Kept Issue Alive.
Had it not been for the fact
that Governor Hawley, Attorney
General McDongall, Secretary of
State w. l.. Clifford, State Audi
tor S. ID. Taylor, Superintendent
of Public instruction Miss Grace
SHEPPARD and State Land Com
missioner Day kept the land issue
alive before the government de-
partments and officials at Wash
ington, the entire tract of valu-
able land would unquestionably
have been lost to Idaho.
President Taft and Associate
Forester Potter took firm stand
with Idaho in order that this state
could claim it's right and to them
as we'll as to members Of the state
land board of this state, credit
is due for the signing of the
more than ordinarily important
order last week by the president.
President Taft in particular re-
fused to "play Injun" with Ida
hos rights and stood by the law
which the existing proclamation
might have set aside. AS a re-
suit Idaho retains it's birthright,
declare those state officials fam
iliar with the history of the case
and the entire transaction.
What Trouble Was.
The greater part of the land in
volved in the controversy which
has lasted for d number of years
is located adjacent to the Marble
creek country, but does not in
clude that township. In 1909 the
state applied for survey of the
land to ascertain the location of
sections 16 and SO. This applica-
ton was accepted by the govern
ment but before the survey could
be made Theodore Roosevelt, who
was then president issued a pro-
clamation including within the
st. Joe forest reserve, the land
the state wished to have survey
ed and the Is and 80 sections.
The state went ahead with its
work to make the selections IT.
respective of the proclamation.
State Land Commissioner Day
carried on this important task for
the state. The selections were
accepted by the government.
The then commissioner of the
general land office made a ruling
that placed the states rights with
in the reserve in jeopardy. He
held that the proclamation of the
president cancelled the states
right to the land. The state,
through Attorney General Nc
Dougan, appeal led to the secre-
tary of the interior. Shortly
afterwards Secretary Ballinger
was in Idaho and looked into the
matter. He was convinced the
state was right in it's contention
then and ordered that the opin-
ion pending be held up until his
return. In the meantime the at
torsey general of the United
States held that the proclamation
cancelled the states right, and
the opinion of the secretary of
the interior handed down imme-
diately afterwards also held that