The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-09-02
CLARK Y. SAV|DGE
VISITS KENNEW|CK
State Land Commissioner Ex-
plains Details of Land Ex-
change with Government

State Land Commissioner Clark v.
Savidge, who as secretary of the state
board of equalization, is investigating
certain real estate assessments in
Franklin county, paid his Kennewick
friends an unofficial visit yesterday
evening. Mr.. Savidge was accom-
panied from Pasco by County Assess
or A. H. Wheaton, who is taking ad-
vantage of Mr.. Savidge's visit to take
up with him matters of official busi-
ness. The commissioner hopes to
be able to make an official trip over
Benton county in the near future.
Mr.. Savidge has just completed the
details of the exchange of lands be-
ween the state Of Washington and
the federal government. In explain
q this exchange Mr.. Savidge said:
sThe enabling act which admitted
Washington to the union granted to
the state for the use Of its common
schools sections 16 and S6 in every
township. Much Of this land has beer
unsurveyed. The state could not OBJ.
tain possession of the unsurveyed
sections until they had been located
and surveyed by the federal govern
ment. In 1897 the federal government
began to establish forest reserves II
| the state of Washington. The estab
fishing of these reserves has contin
ued until at this present. time approx
mately one-third of the state Of Wash
ington is within the boundaries of th'
forest reserves. By far the large
portion of the territory embraces
within the boundaries of the fores
reserves was unsurveyed. The fedora
government has steadfastly maintain
ed that the establishing of reserv
extinguished whatever claim the stat
had to unsurveyed sections within it
boundaries. The state has as stoutl
maintained that it did not. Be tina
as it may, the government holds tn
key to the situation in that it is nc
obliged to survey these lands. TIL
state has sustained further loss @
its lands by settlement, that is, wher
settler has squatted upon land
prior to survey and upon survey
is found to be either section 16 or 3
and thus a par of the school gran
In such cases the government has a
ways ruled that the settler had
prior claim and has issued a patel
for the land.
Governments Plan
: The federal government offered
! recognize the claim of the state
: the extent of permitting it to sele
. an equal amount Of land from Il
n unappropriated government land ou
side the forest reserves, under a fe
/ eral statute providing for the sele
= tion of lieu land by the state. II
state declined to do this for the sir
. ple reason that it would be impossib
= to find among the unappropriated go
ernment. lands tract that even a
proximated in value that lost by t
state. In the summer Of 1913, 9
companied by Attorney General Ia
e ner, I visited Washington, d.
m Numerous conferences were had WI
e the federal officials, at which this ms
le ter was thoroughly considered. 7
~ result of these conferences is
le agreement between the state OF Was
l. ington and the federal governme
~ which is substantially as follows:
e "The government recognizes the Il
ie by the state of its unsurveyed lar
y within the boundaries of the for'
tc reserves and also the loss by sett
p ment within its reserves. 1t is pl
e vided that the federal governme
CONTINUED on page four)