The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1916-12-14
State Land Department
a Real Big Business .

The annual report made by Frank
S. Henry, state land commissioner
will probably be Of considerable inter.
est to those throughout the state who
are interested in state affairs.
Mr.. Henry is with the North Dako.
ia regiment on the border, where he
is a major, and owing to his expert.
ence as an officer and his experience
in the PHILIPPINES, his services are val
liable to the regiment.
The report herein mentioned is for
the year ending July /, 1916, and sub.
mitted to Governor Hanna according
to law. -
1t shows that the millions of dol
lars which are being paid into the de.
partment are being loaned to the
farmers at low rate of interest; that
this money is also being loaned to
the state institutions, to the counties
with which to build court houses, and
to cities and townships for the pur-
pose of building city halls and school
houses, and making other improve
ments which could not otherwise be
made were it not for the use of this
fund.
It also shows that the interest is
being returned to the schools and
educational institutions of the state,
thereby reducing the burden of taxa
ton each year.
The creation Of the state land de-
partment, and prescribing the duties
thereof, and the mode Of handling the
funds, was one of the wisest works Of
the trainers of our constitution.
Through this department the funds
from all it's sources have been invest
ed in state, county, school and NUM-
cipal bonds, bearing and 5 per cent
ing and 6 per cent. During the past
year investments have been made in
bonds in the sum of $1,325,640, while
$1,957,15O have been loaned to the
farmers of the state. The total amount
of permanent funds invested on the
first of last July was $7,986,392.99 in
bonds within the state, and $4,291, no
has been loaned to the farmers on
their farms, making a total invest
ment of $12,27S,1O2. This is really a
rural credit business conducted by
the state, and takes the place of such
a law. If all states invested their
funds with their people as North Da.
kota does, there would be no need Of
a national rural credit law,
Comparison with former reports
shows that this department has had
a wonderful growth from year to year,
the last, of course, being far greater
than any other. The total collections
for this year approximate $6,000,000.
There are still 100000 acres of land
unsold. There are 10000 leases in
force today. Since the last report 955
patents were issued for 125,000 acres
Of land, representing purchase price
Of s1,735,OOO.
During the past years 1900 patents
for land contracts have been issued,
and there are now $500 live contracts.
Thirty-seven applications for divi-
sions of contracts have also been al
lowed and new contracts issued in
their stead.
During the last two years the col
lections of interest have amounted to
the following: On farm loans, $272,-
S37O6; on bonds, $626,488.SS; on
school land contracts, $1,572,950.66.
The collections of rental on school
and institution lands for the same
period have amounted to $308,238.4S.
The total apportioned among the COM
mon schools and institutions of the
state from all Of the above sources
amounted to $2,7S0,515.O8. For the
two years previous this amounted to
$2,480,847.74.
It is of interest to note in connec-
ton herewith that the report of the
state superintendent of public instruc-
ton shows that the total apportion'
ment for the public school districts
of the state for the last biennial per-
iod amounted to $2,069,335.09. For the
preceding period this amount was ST.
784,715.51. This shows an increase OF
$284,620.58 for the last two years over
the preceding two years, which was
divided among the public school dis
tricts, the largest apportionment in
the history of the state, which mater.
tally assists in curtailing the school
taxation. This shows that the appor'
tionment per pupil has increased from
$5.44 for the preceding period to 1882
for the period just ended, due to the
growth of the interest and income
fund of the common schools, in spite
of the fact that the number of pupils
in the public school district has in.