The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1915-01-26


provement bill introduced in the
senate by Senator E. f. Elliott of
Bonner county, is looked upon in
northern Idaho as one Of the
most important pieces of legisla-
ton pending before the legisla-
ture. If passed it will result in
the creation of a large number
Of improvement districts by which
great areas of logged-off land can
be cleared and the soil made to
produce profitable crops.
Vesting power for the creation
Of these districts section two of
the proposed law provides: "The
district courts of this state and
the judges thereof are hereby
vested with jurisdiction to create
such improvement districts to ap-
point commissioners therefor, to
make assessments against the
land embraced therein and TO do
such other things as may be nee
essary to carry out effectively the
provisions Of this act"
The purpose of the act in its
general sense is set forth in sec
tion 1, which says: 1.-THE clear
ing and improvement of land sit
uated within this state which may
be rendered tillable by the re-
moval of sage brush timber, roots
stumps, logs, brush or other de-
bris, sa as to fit said land for
cultivation, is hereby declared to
be matter of public benefit and
utility, and shall be deemen con-
ducive to the general welfare"
Improvement districts can be
created on petition of all persons
owning and interested in the
lands proposed to be included
therein. They sre required to
file a petition and if it is found
to contain the necessary allega-
lions of jurisdictional facts, it
then becomes the duty of the
court, if satisfied of the truth of
the allegations and that all peo-
pie owning property in the dis
trict have joined in the petition
to create the district. Provision
is also made hat an improvement
district can be created upon pc
titiOn Of persons owning half or
more, in area, of the lands pro-
posed to be included therein.
Hearings mist be held on the pc
titiOns and publication given.
Those who are opposed to the
creation of districts may appear
at the hearings and voice their
objections
When the court enters a de-
cree creating a district, or dis
tricts, the court must then ap-
point a competent licensed sur
veyor who, acting as a commits
sioner, must make a survey of the
land to be included in the district
and file a report with the court
giving an estimate to be used as
basis for the making Of as
sessments to defray the cost anC
expense of the district. This. es-
innate is to cover the cost ot
clearing each 4O-acre tract OF
smaller subdivision. On this
report the assessments are bas-
ed. The court is required tC
hold another hearing at which
all interested parties are to be
heard. Each assessment be
comes lien on the land or par
cells of land. The decree max.
ing the assessment also author
ICES and empowers the commits.
sioner to execute improvement
bonds hearing not to exceed
per cent. redeemable at the enl
of three years.
State funds can be used for th
purchase of these bonds includ
ing university funds through tn
state board of land commission
ers, the bonds to constitute a pre-
ferential investment for fund
arising from the disposition o
university lands belonging to th
state.
In order that the by-product
from stumps can be made profit