Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-01-29
MAKES MOllEYB
LAND INSPECTION
Commissioner Savidge Dis
covers Trespasses Net
State Large Fines

OL MPIA, Jan. Z6.-FOllOWlng out
the program he set in motion early
in his administration, and under which
he caused to be inspected many thous-
ands of acres of state land in Eastern
Washington, Clark V. Savidge, state
land commissioner, is this winter pros
ecuting a similar inspection in the
timbered sections Of Western Wash
ington. In the past seven weeks one
inspector has discovered trespasses
on the part Of logging companies from
which the state will have collected
more than $4,000 when the cases are
settled. A considerable portion of
this amount has already been collect
ed by Commissioner savidge's inspec.
tor and turned into the state treasury.
The balance Is in the hands of the
attorney general with actions for COL
lection pending.
Under the direction Of Commission
er Savidge since he took once two
years ago, there have been more than
100000 acres Of state land. either
farming or grazing in nature, inspect
ed east Of the mountains and such
records made Of it 40 TO require no
further inspection when applications
for lease or purchase are made. In
addition to this feature, however.
cases Of trespass were discovered and
trespass collected to a total Of over
$3.50, nearly $1,000 more than all the
inspection Of the 100000 acres cost
Another feature Of the Eastern
Washington inspection was the dis
covery that year after year the big
sheepmen Of Washington and Oregon
had been using vacant school land
sections in several outside counties
for their spring grazing lands, but
never returning penny to the state
for their use. Action was taken with
the result that thousands OF acres Of
this grazing land have been leased to
the stockmen, rental now coming into
the state treasury from this new
source of nearly $4,000 a year.
This inspection program is now car
ried out without any additional ap-
preparation. The timber land inspec-
ton has just started, one man hav-
ingN been employed in that work for
less than two months. During that
time he has discovered and started
collection on q large number Of small
trespasses and several large ones. In
Skagit county one case IL costing the
trespasser .$11,360. In Wahkia-
kuhn county, where an Oregon lumber
frm had. been cutting Washington
timber. $500 was found to be due
the state, and was collected. Others
were: One in Whatcom county, 81
200; a second in Whatcom county, 81
024, and one in Mason county, 1928.
The uncovering Of these and several
smaller cases cost 5000, leaving near
ly $4,000 clear profit to the state
from the inspection.
Since assuming his Office Commits
sioner Savidge has revised the &C.
counting and recording system along
modern lines and as a result has been
able to operate with reduced force,
notwithstanding the normal increase
in the business of the office and the
additional field work that has been
done. He has also directed the check
ing of the records for several back
years to correct errors. There are
now approximately 5000 persons in
the state having personal accounts in
the land office. making the office one
of the largest in the state.