Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-04-14
OF THE
STATFlANDBOARD
NOT DECREASED
No Employees Dropped, as
Was 1ntimated Would Be
the Case Business Of De-
partment Increasing.

The reorganization Of the state land
department, following its removal from
the annex to the main section OF the
capitol building, appears upon investi-
cation to have developed three inter-
esting things. to-wit: The payroll has
not been decreased, but instead in :
| creased and no employees have been
dropped as yet, although the impress
sion was given out this would be the
case after the transfer; the land board
has discussed the matter in executive
session. but came to no definite conclu-
| sion owing to some objections raised,
although 1t did agree on the March
payroll; the business Of the department.
is increasing. loans having increased
$50 per cent in the past few months
and sales per cent, while Carey act
business Is reviving and the land leas-
Ing Is looking UP. The expense OF re-
moving the department from the an
mex to the main building increased the
! total. It is said to be doubtful whether
the department IL better Off now than
1t was before. It appears crowded and
congested in the new quarters.
Claim Races Warranted.
The state land board passed reso-
the department was installed in its
new quarters such employees would be
retained as named by 1t. AS none Of
the employees has been dropped the
maintenance force is just as large as
1t was before. The raises authorized
In salaries were IS per month in one
instance and SO per month in two 9TH
er instances. 1t is claimed in defense
of these increases that they were war
ranted and that at any rate the pres
ent status of the maintenance force is
but temporary. the board having left
the matter open to take action on the
objections raised later The minut IS
of the board do not show the proceed
ings of the executive session. This is
explained by the fact that no definite
agreement had been reached, the ar
rangement was but temporary and
when matters had reached a settled
basis they would be shown on the min
utes in full.
Put in Extra Time.
It is claimed In defense of the main
tenance force Of the land department.
that during the past winter the clerks.
bookkeepers, etc, have put In 144 days
Of extra time for which, they have not
received cent of extra pay; that their
work required careful comparing and
checking. especially deeds. etc.
In fact it is now claimed to be some
what doubtful that with the increase
in business the force of the land de-
partment can be cut at all, but in
stead II may have to be increas ed.
Some of the segregated funds of the
department are running short and in
adjusting the salaries at recent meet
ing the board had to authorize the
payment of some salaries out of diff
ferent department funds. 1t is said.
Legislative Appropriations.
The last legislature appropriated a
total Of $104,520 for the state board of
land commissioners office, divided as
follows: General maintenance. $4,000;
salaries of officers. clerks and field
agents. $41.a6o; publishing legal no.
tices and United States land office fees.
1850; travelling expenses for land com.
missioner and field agents, $1,000: tim
Der fire protection, including any and all
duly authenticated items. and charges
whatsoever contracted, performed
or rendered. $4,000; for carrying ont
provisions of house bill No. 12S, pro-
viding for 40 years extension on land
contracts, $4,000; mortgage foreclosu ,es
and taxes, 5000.
The handling of the bonds by the
treasury department, for which $1,000
was appropriated by the legislature, is
carried on comparatively with the land
department. l.. L. Folsom, employed
by the treasury department at $3.50,
which is paid by the land department,
has been with the force for the past
nine months assisting in this work.
Garden, grass and field seeds. w. s.
4 n M 9TH and Grove Phouo 222 ~