The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1914-08-21
TO SELL THE STATE LANDS
Governors Plan Would Increase
Idaho's Revenues.


Boise, Idaho. The idea of selling
OF Idaho's marketable agricultural
land and applying the earnings of the
funds thus created to defray!ng the
expenses Of stste institutions has
been advanced from time TO time by
different persons Of prominence In
the state, notably by Editor Pec0tte
of the HALEY Times and Land Com
missioner George A. Day. The
proposition Is a sound Que and It has
been seized on by number of aspir-
ing politicians rs an Tissue" for their
campaign. 1t remained for Governor
Haines to present matured plan 10
utilize this IDEA, and this plan was
embodied In a plank IN the republi-
can state platform. Governor Haines
not only propose- tu sell ths Sc state
agricultural lands, but he proposes to
sell them on forty years time at
low rate Of Interest thus embOdyinR
an element Of the "Farm Credit"
theory.
1t Is well known fact that the
state OF Idaho has IN immense area
OF marketable agricultural lands that
would sell at from $40 To $40 an acre
and even higher. The state Is unable
to dispose Of these lands at the
present time, for the reason that
there Is a constitutional provision
that limits the S le To twenty five
sections annually. This Is less than
one section for each county aud IL
| would take century or two to thus
dispose OF the lands. Many acres are
leased at from 25 cents To SO cents
per acre which II sold at six per ccnt
! interest would bring in annually
from 60 cents to 81 IS an acre for
interest alone.
Some authorities have estimated
that these lands would bring $40. .O0O,-
900 and find ready market. $50.
900, 900 at six pc. cent Interest would
produce 81 ,600.0 900, which Is more
| money than the legislature appropri-
ates for state purposes annually Dv
the adoption Of Governor lIainss'
policy 1t would be but few years
until Idaho would be u taxless state
so far as state taxes are concerned.
The state can use only the earnings
OF these funds for the support Of its
state institutions. The principal
sum derived from the sale of the
lands must always remain intact.
In view OF the fact that the state
would have to loan the principal as
soon as the payments were turned
into the state treasury, 1t is the
Governors idea that it would be far
better to give the homeseek.r long
time In which to pay for the land,
the state at the present time being
principally interested 10 the interest
item which can be used for the sup
port Of state institutions. The
Governor proposes to go farther than
this aud to apply this same principle
to all sales now under contract.
There are several thousands Of citI
zens 10 the state Of Idaho who have
purchased state land 90 contracts
ranging from ten to eighteen yeals.
The Governor would give these peop.
the same privileges as new purchasers
, or course all would have the privilege
of paving up at any time they saw H.
The longtime payment idea has
two advantages; one is that IL giv''
the homebuildcr who PURCHASES stat,
4 lands all the time he desires To maxi
his payments to the state; while OF
the other hand It would undoubted!,
enhance the market value OF tn
states holdings because such attrac
y tive terms could be had nowhere else