Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1913-07-24

81 dIuitI III IL y LILY i,cuc I1- q
timely article touching upon the
subject and claiming that the state
las over-reacie,i it, authority in its
reckless expenditures out OF this
fund. Tie article Is as follows:
Whenever an ci.tryman makes
bis final proof on the public lands
available under what i commonly
termed the Carey act. he pays to
the state fifty cents for each and
every acre upon which he make
proof. The federal laws giving this
arid land to the state upon proof OF
compliance with the grant, provides
that this money shall be set aside,
and shall be held as a trust fund
for and be applied to the reclama-
ton Of other desert lands in such
state
By section 1927 the Legislature 81
the state has seen fit to stretch this
provision as follows: As provided
by the acts Of congress all moneys
received by the board from the sale
Of lands settled under the provisions
Of this chapter shall be deposited
with the state treasurer, and such
sums as may be necessary shall be
available for the payment Of the ex-
penses of the board and of the state
engineers office incurred in carry
ing out the provisions OF this chap
ter"
Under this law this fund has been
dis,ipated until there is nothing left
OF it and we have failed t. note that
it has been used for the reclama-
tion of other desert lands On the
contrary it has been used to pay
salaries OF officers not connected
with the Carey act department, to
the state engineers Office for ex-
penses not even remotely connected
with the reclamation Of Carey &C
lands or other desert lands. The
report of the land department for
1912 shows a total OF S113,616. "a
paid out of the fund Of which $780,
900 went to the engineers office,
one item of more than s17 900 for
salaries of stenographers and
clerks" $4,000 for travelling ex-
pcnses when all the employees were
travelling on passes, s25. 900 for
measuring streams and water sup
ply III connection with the general
government, and, last but not least,
salaries Of engineers. 1t should be
remembered that this money was
spent in addition to the $4,000
given to the state engineers office
by the 18th session, and while the
Carey act department proper only
srent out Of this fund something
Ike 5000, the fund is poorer by
something like $4,000 and not
foot of additional land has been
reclaimed.
The latest raid on this fund is
the appropriation of 81, 900 to one
Don Bark for the purpose of inves-
tigating the duty of water, or in
other words, to see how little water
the companies have to deliver to
the settlers under the contracts.
This makes 5000 appropriated up
up to date for this purpose, this year,
and the year only half gone. We
challenge the authority of the board |
to make these appropriations and |
demand that they cease, and that
the money belonging to the people
be disbursed as required by law or |
not at all.
1t was common talk around the
state house that when any fund in
the various offices connected with
the land department and the engi-
neer's Office was exhausted, the
officers and employees were trans
ferred to the Carey act pay roll.
The state of Idaho may yet be
liged to replace this fund that has
been and is being mis-appropriated.
HAnother slash was made at the
fund last week which is reported as
fellows in the Statesman:
Engineer Baldwin of the United
States geological survey was before
the land board on Friday asking