Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-03-24

by officials OF former state administra-
tions in the leasing of state lands and
middiemen taking advantage OF the
ignorance Of those seeking leases had
made thousands of dollars. He sum-
marizes his convictions as the result Of
the investiP ition in the following man
ner:
SUMMARY GIVEN.
First-That there are monopo-
lies in state agricultural land
leases, in violation of rule No. 10.
Second--That there has been ia
voritism on the part Of former ap-
pointees of the Idaho state land
board in the leasing Of these agri-
cultural lands.
Third-That there IL in the
counties a class of middlemen
whose operation has been a great
injury to the counties and the ap-
praiser falls to see wherein their
services have been a benefit to
anyone save themselves.
Fourth--That many people seem
not to be well informed as to how
they could do business directly
with the state land board, and
therefore are imposed upon by
middlemen and are paying COM
missions. bonuses and fees that are
wholly out of proportion to tho
service rendered.
CHARGES REPEATEDLY MADE.
The appraiser finds leases have been
assigned and the assignments have not
been recorded, in violation Of the rules
of the board. He says the land board
is bitterly censured by the people who
claim they do not get a square deal.
Leases on agricultural lands, it is
pointed out, are hooked about, which
is an unsatisfactory process. Locators
have been getting fees as high as
$1,000 for locating 100 acres of land, it
is claimed. In some instances even
larger fees have been paid.
For many years charges of favorit-
ism in the leasing of land have been
made and periodically the southeast
ern lands have come into prominence
in that respect. The land board ex-
poets to go into the bottom Of both
grazing and agricultural land leases in
the future.
TO PROCEED AGAINST COMPANY.
The board instructed Attorney Gen
eral T. A. Walters to bring whatever
the Twin Falls Miner Land g. Water
company for alleged violations Of the
terms of the session laws Of 1909,
for the sale of water to approximately
5000 acres of land in the Hanson Butte
country. The settlers asked for pro-
lection and sent ]. w. Porter to ap-
pear before the board. Porter told
of the settlers on the Murtaugh irriga-
tion district retaining their own land
and the sale of water rights to them
by the company after it had been re-
fused a contract by the state. If the
district is able to make showing
that the water 1t can command is SUI
ficien to irrigate the lands in the dis
trict, the land board will give the set
tiers a certificate of organization. The
board, however, has no control over the
organization of irrigation districts.
SET DATE FOR HEARING.
The board set April Is as the date
on which to hold a hearing on the ap-
plication of Edwin Snow, a local attor-
ney, to enlarge the Malad reservoir to
impound 5000 acre-feet additional
water. Mr.. Snow appeared before the
board yesterday afternoon and made
the request. At the hearing all par
ties interested are to be represented.
Application was made to the board
by o. e. Stangland and his associates.
for a 25-year lease to dredge the
Occur d'Alene river for minerals. 1t
was referred to State Mine Inspector
Dah po1I
the state s per cent Of the net profits
from dredging for mine tailings car
ried into the river from the Occur
d'Alene mining district.