The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-04-02
IMPORTANT
MEETING.

| The meeting of representatives,
from the various commercial clubs
of the state at Olympia. on Friday
and Saturday was largely attended
and the meeting will prove to have
been one of greatest Importance and
especially so for the betterment OF
conditions in the settlement of our
logged-off lands.
a resolution was adopted pro-
viding for the listing of commercial
clubs in the various communities OF
all logged-off and avails Bile agricul-
tural lands in the state and that
mineral and stone reservations in
private and state deeds be taxed.
A Spokane delegate scored the
state land commissioner for the
method of handling the state lands.
declaring that the state was not
only the largest. but the worst land
owner in the state of Washington.
He declared that the lands were
held and sold for speculation and
not with any idea of bringing set
tiers into the state.
n. b. Coffman, of Chehalis. took
! occasion to condemn the Swiss col
ony system in Thurston county, de-
claring that it was criminal for the
and let these people be forced to
pay $40 an acre for raw land from
a syndicate when similar land in
great quantities can be bought any
other place on the open market for
not more than $40 an acre.
This kind of thing, declared Mr..
Coffman, is keeping the settlers off
the lands in Western Washington.
Such prices for uncleared land are
unreasona BILE he said, .and We
cannot expect people to come here
from the East and take up land
under those conditions. The pres
ent colonists did not know what they
were going up against. Mr.. Coff-
mans statements were borne out by
| others who declared that the syndi-
cate purchasing the land for the
colonists originally paid as low as
| 81 an acre for it, turning it over to
the colonists for $40.
A resolution adopted that a larger
immigration department of the state
be created; that strong committee
be appointed to draft prospective
| Legislation for the consideration of
the next legislature; the commercial
| bodies be urged to make listings of
lands available for settlement by in
corners with g virtual option to sell
within eighteen months at "a reason
able figure. and that reservations OF
| mineral in land transfers other than
by the state or federal government
be placed on the tax rolls of the
| respective counties.
The deliberations of the conyen-
tion occupied two days time and
various topics of interest 10 the
states best interests We're discuss
ed at length. Among them were
the failure to tax reservation made
in deeds and conveyances of pri-
vate grantors. This was roundly
scored and resolution calling up
on the assessors of the state to as
sess such reservations as real prop
erty was introduced and referred to
the plans committee.
]. w. Brislawn of the state tax
| commission explained that the coun-
ty assessors have been instructed by
the tax commission to assess such
| reservations but stated that he be-
lieved the adoption of such q reso-
luton by the meeting here would
have great weight in getting through
legislation making such assessment
mandatory.
The convention voted down a mo-
tion to have the secretary Of state.
as head of the state bureau of sta
tistics and immigration, eXpend from
5000 to $4,000 of an appropria-
tion now remaining in sending a
man about Western Canada and the
Middle West studying the immigra-
tion problem, to report to the next
Legislature, as the basis for legisla-
ton.
An interesting feature of both
days sessions was the attendance of
number of the Swiss colonists
that are settled on logged-off lands
near Bordeaux, in Thurston county.
Their explanations of their plans and
the work to be done proved of great
interest to the immigration men of
the railroad and others interested III
the problem. The members of the
community explained that the lands
would be cleared by cooperative
working, the whole colony turning
out to clear five acres for each
householder as a start. The com
munity will be strictly dairying, de-
voting all of its time to the making
of cheese, which they declare will
be the finest in the country.
Every railroad with lines in the
state and most of the large property
holders had representatives at the
meeting. A comprehensive plan
for the settling of the unOccupied
agricultural lands of the state was
worked out and the secretary of
state as com missioner of immigra-
ton will be able to start his active
advertising work along some definite
plan laid down by experts With
the appointment of five committees
10 consider and report TO the bu-
resn of statistics and immigration
on various matters, the immigration
convention adjourned. The com
mittees were legislative, logged-off
land, wheat lands, irrigated lands
and how to get Immigrants