The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-12-17
THE STATE LAND BOARD
AGAIN PROMINENTLY
IN PUBLIC EYE
Especial to The Tribune

not afford food for some kind of a
sensation and the past week has been
no exception. This time it is the of
flee of the State Land Commissioner
that is in the limelight. 1t has been
brought to the attention of the state
land board that the commissioner Is
exercising most extraordinary powers
for an official that is not under bonds
and who has not, it is alleged, taken
an oath of Office. These facts are, it
is assumed, contained in report
made to the board by the register Of
the land Office. The report has not
yet been made public.
The commissioner has exercised ex-
traordinary powers. He selects the
lands to fill out the states congress
sional grants. He designates the
lands that are to be sold. He conducts
the sales and receives the money
therefrom and turns it into the state
treasury as do other officials collect
ing money on behalf of the state. He
likes the price when state lands are
leased and collects the fees.
AS giving some idea of the business
transacted by the commissioner, the
following figures are submitted: Since
the beginning of the present
year Commissioner Day has
sold 1875 acres of land for
1921, 0lo.87, on which $64,15o.OO
was pand in cash. He sold 2l28
acres of timber for $7l ,2o3. He col
lected from leases the sum of SAL
924. The acreage under lease, now in
force, amounts to 1,04o,072, nearly all
OF which has been put under lease
since Mr.. Day has held the Office of
commissioner.
&c
the office of the state land commits
in the state. That he should be under
bond goes without saying. 1t is like
wise probably true that the state land
board has given the commissioner
office very little supervision. The
commissioner has probably had a
free hand in conducting the affairs of
his Office, although, as a matter of
fact, every acre selected, every acre
sold and every lease executed, is sup
posed to have had the direct consider
alton and approval of the state land
board. This is a prerogative of the
land board if the board cares to as
sumo it. Members of land boards
have usually found plenty of land
board business to engross their at
tention without looking after the de-
tails assigned to subordinate officers.
If they gave direct attention to the de-
tails of the commissioners Office in
order to give an intelligent sanction
to each of his acts, they would have
no time to devote to anything else.
1t would appear that various boards
under whom Day has served have had
confidence in him and have given him
a free hand, exercising only general
supervision and outlining the policy
the Office was to pursue.
Commissioner Day was first ap-
pointed by Governor Gooding and has
held the office of Commissioner con-
tinuously through the administra-
tons of Governor Brady, Governor
Hawley, Governor Haines, and now
under Governor Alexander. All con-
ditions existing in the office of the
State Land Commissioner at the pres
ent time have existed as they now
are under each of the above named
administrations from Gooding down
to Alexander, except that the bust
ness of the department has grown en-
ormousy.
discharge of official duties are made
tenn under which the department is
conducted is held to be weak, and ap-
parently with cause. The present land
board are considering such changes as
seem to justify.
The report bringing the alleged
laxity in the Commissioners depart
ment to the attention of the board
was withheld from publication and
resulted as such acts always result
in Sensational reports as to what the
report really contained. In order to
clear up all false Surmises, resulting
from the alleged suppression of the
report, the board at an executive ses-
sion held on Tuesday, gave out the
following official statement:
AT a meeting of the state land
board, held some days prior to De
cember 3. 1915. the state land board
required of its register his sugges-
tions and report as to more econom-
ical and efficient methods to be en-
ployed in the work of the land de-
partment.
"On December a report was made
by the register to the board, in &C
cordance with the said directions.
which the board was unable at that
time to fully consider by reason of
lack of time. The board, therefore.
directed that the report be considered
confidential until such time as the
board could give it careful considera-
ton, it appearing to the board neces-
sary that the conclusions reached in
such report should be checked over
carefully and that the legal conclu-
sions contained therein should be pre-
sented to the attorney general for his
consideration, and it was for this pur-
pose. and none other. that the board
concluded to withhold the report from
publication at that time. The governor
of the state of Idaho was no more
responsible for the suppression of the
report if the action of the board
could be construed as a suppression.
than any other rnemher Of fhe hoard