The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-10-17
OF INTEREST
LAND COMMISSIONER GIVES Ac.
COUNT OF STEPS TAKEN DUR.
ING HIS STEWARDSHIP.
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
From the Capitol CITY, the Various
State Institutions and From
Many Different Parts Of
the Sunshine State.

Pierre.-In the biennial report just
filed with the governor, of Land Com
missioner L. Il. Brinker a detailed his.
tory is given of the two years admins.
t~ration, and some important recon-
mendations are made. When taking
office two years g Mr.. Brinker found
much work before him. The people
had recently approved a constitutional
amendment providing for a law for
leasing state lands for farming pur.
2oses, and agreement had been entered
INTO for the exchange of the state lands
In the forest reserve for a compact
body; congress had provided for the
opening of Meliette and Bennett coun-
ties, in which there a $4,000 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 compre-
hensive law defining the duties Of his
department.
Under his suggestion the school
lanQ lease law was enacted, under
which these lands are not rented at a
uniform rate for each county, but each
tract is appraised and a rental fixed
according to value. The total rent.
ais for the past year amounted to
1929, 49,. 90, an increase Of $50, 1864,
in the face OF ~unfavorable conditions
for agriculture. $4,000 of this came
from lands leased for farming. Mr..
Rrinl-cp Stof1S +hot additional rnypnnn
could be secured without injury to the
lands by a minimum rental of 50 per
acre, together with a bond or q half
payment in advance, and providing for
a 20-year lease, enabling the lessee TO
put up permanent improvements i'll
stead Of the present five-year limit.
The department sold 19,216.S3 acres
in 1911 at an everage of $52.0S, and
2 2.450.4S acres in 1912 at $47.23, the
lower price in the latter year being
because of the large sale of rocky land
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 Harney Pear
tract, and the commissioner urges the
creation of a state department Of for
estry to properly preserve it from fire
and pillage. This would cost much
less than the e
The state has filed on 30, 645. 90 acres
in Mellette and 27,32S.07 acres in Ben.
net counties of indemnity lands. Chas.
Fl. Bates, government allotting agent
on the Pine Ridge reservation says
that they are a quarter of a million
acres short of enough land for the In
dians on that reservation; hence Mr..
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 I'm one body rather than
being limited to two sections to a
township.
The permanent school fund amounts
to $9,037, 1886, derived from the sale
of 396,09G.76 acres. The sales of en-.
dowment lands brings the fund under
the direction of this department up to
$~l0,l43,S31.23. OF this SS.916,S74 is
still u at 6 per cent on deferred pay
ments on lands, and the balance So
226,S56.3G, is loaned out, mostly at 3
per cent. Applications are on hand
for several hundred thousand dollars,
for which there are no funds. This
fund has had a decidedly beneficial eff.
feet in keeping down the rate of In.
terest within the state. S4.4S was ap.
portioned from this interest for every
school child. This is the largest pro
rata ever, and also represents the larg-
est 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.-
901 since statehood. Some S2S, 2S6. 10
vas granted in extension to renters
who were unable to meet their obliga.
lions owing to the short crop of last
wear