Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-05-23
"WATCHFUL WAITING" VALUABLE TO BIG
LUMBER SYNDICATE.

The Nampa Leader-H Herald, owned and edited by N.
Jenness register the land office is the only news
paper in the state which has attempted defense OF the
land board in the Potlatch Lumber company deal
One of the points sought be made by Register Jenness
is that the Capital News missated the facts when it said
that the land recently sold had been sold at price which
etted the state less than the price offered by the same
company three years ago, but which was then re-
ected because the price too low by the board some
members of which voted to reject the price then offered
but voted to accept the price accepted The PROOF
Mr. Jenness submits the bare statement that the price
refused three years ago $685. at least that was
the price which the portion OF land then sold brought
while the land recently sold brought $1136 acre.
This but fair sample Of the unfainess with which
the people are treated by public officials. Mr. Jen
relies upon the fact that $136 is than $1O58
to msead and deceive the people, and therein he displays
intent deceive 1t most certainly Is true that the
larger greater than the smaller but this
other illustration of the familiar saying that while figures
will not lie, liars will sometimes figure.
If the state had accepted the Potlatch offer of $1O50
three years ago. it would have had the benefit OF
the interest for three years. The annual interest upon
$1058 per is $06348 and for the three it
would amount to $19044 per In other words if the
Potatch company had been granted this land three
years ago at $1058 and had paid the states usual
cent interest upon deferred payments instead of paying
spot cash. that company would have paid to the state by
the present year. just $248 for this same land
Instead by waiting the three years and by saving the
interest upon the money then offered that company
abed by this action of the state board to get the
land for $11.36
Subtracting the two sums, find that the Potlatch
Lumber company by waiting three years in which to make
its deal with land board unanimously Republican, saved
the difference between $12.48 and $1136, SLIP for
each Mr. Jenness the number of sold
"about'' $3.50 Accepting these figures as being
correct find that the ''watchful waiting policy of the
Potlatch Lumber company Melted it $3528.
Inasmuch Mr. Jenness is as technical an Oregon
Short Line honeyfogng agent he will doubtless argue
that these figures do represent the facts nasmuc
remember it, the Potlatch Lumber company paid cash
three years ago. But the only difference is that had the
state then sold the $3.50 which it refused to SELL and
had it received cash. the state itself would have drawn
the interest per acre. and the cost of administering
the public schools of the state assuming the land to have
been school land would have been 52S less to the
payers.
Because he too poor to pay carare to buy
meals, Oregon walked $50 miles and begged his
food the way order to be in court to testify
In in which he had been supoenaed witness.
And we'll wager that after he gave his testimony the OPP
posing attorney called him horse thief buyragged and
browbeat him. and made him feel worse than thirty cents
for giving the evidence he forced to give the
of the courtl
Of course, in figuring out that the Potatch Lumber
company saved $4,000 at the expense of the public
school fund of the state by it's watcful waiting policy
in the purchase Of timber rejected when the public
fully advised but in secret under the very
next administration have made allowance for the
cost to that syndicate in eectng the Republican ticket
Who fail to sympathize with Colorado because of
the inecency of its state militia when there has Just