Omaha daily bee., 1917-09-24
Nebraska
SHUMWAY WANTS
STATE TO BENEFIT
Land Commissioner Believes
Mineral Deposits Should
Pay the Upkeep of
the Schools.
(From a Staff Correspondent.)

-NtDraSRa mas a state Official VIII
is willing to consider that he ma,
want to retire from office some time
whose term of office is not restricte,
by the constitution. This man is Ian,
Commissioner Grant Shumway, an,
he even goes so far as to write a,
article starting in with, "When re
tire" etc. His contribution may b,
taken either as a valedictory wher
leaving his present office, or al
inaugural for higher office.
Wants Income For Schools.
He discusses some good things a:
follows:
When I retire from the land com.
imissioner's office l will hope that the
income from reappraised school lands
from invested school funds, and from
potash and oil leases will pay the
entire running expenses of the com.
mon schools. Today three-fourths oi
this expense is paid by direct taxa.
ton.
This may look impossible, but
there is nothing magical about it; SIM
ply a business administration of the
land department. and information con-
corning the inherent values of the
states property.
The cost of running the schools
of Nebraska is about S3,00O,OOO Der
annum. Rentals on school lands for
agricultural leases will produce ap-
proximately $l,0O0,00O against $780,
OOO previously, and mineral lease
contracts in the potash field should
contribute about $500,0O0, beginning
next spring. 1t is expected that min
eral contracts yet to be made in this
field will double and perhaps triple
that amount. We have begun to re-
ceive a little from bonuses paid ON oil
prospects, and it seems reasonably
sure this activity will bring forth a
discovery of petroleum in one or more
OF the ten counties now being pros
pected. Add to this the interest on
the permanent school fund, which is
approximately $500000. According to
earning capacity at per cent, our
school lands had a value of S4,000,000.
This will prove to be $40,000000
asset, unless all signs fail. .. -e
Money For Reappraisement.
1--WE are glad of our contribution
to the achievements. We know some
thing of land values, and the iegisla-
ture, upon our recommendation, ap-
propriated $4,000 for reappraisement
and rechecking. We have found and
rented lands from which there has
been no income for years, and by jan
uary ! will have increased the total
rentals fivefold.
Mineral possibilities began to show
up, and we drafted rules where no
laws obtained. The state board were
unanimous in assisting in Nais, and
rules are workable and working. now,
Il shall feel gratified in having per-
formed for the schools and taxpay-
ers OF Nebraska a little goodly ser
vice, for these constructive policies
will live and the. state profit thereby.
Huge Incomes Already.
Last month Nebraska's potash
mills produced and marketed over
$500,OOO worth of product. With no
increase of production, a few little
sand hill lakes will turn out over
$6,000,000 per year. But the product
will double many times. One man is
said to be receiving an income of over
$4,000 per month.
Il have discovered that the state
has recently parted with some lands
oh which are very valuable potash de-
posits. l believe that the state board
has been imposed upon by applicants
to purchase, and that such applicants
were well aware that the lakes on
tracts which they secured contained
rich potash brine. This department
is investigating the records and laws
with a view to having set aside some
such deeds that were issued within
the last year or two.
Equality for All.
occasionally we hear sob talk
about the poor sand hitler, into
whose life has come sand hills gold
like a vivacious maiden We pre-
sumo this refers to men with thou
sands month income particularly
Let it be known, however, that every
applicant for mineral leases will re-
ceive the Identical treatment from
this department. These good people
who are receiving rich harvests must
not expect free lance on the state
property. They will be treated fairly
just as others are. We will make no
preferred lessees much as our friend
ship might incline us to do.
'y Nov, how came this potash wealth
to Nebraska? / am referring this for
the speculation of geologists:
In numerous places in the sand
hills may be seen evidences of earth
folding and the rocks are warped up
wards. May this not have been the
eastern shore of the last cretaceous
sea, or perhaps have held captive ma
rine waters during the Rocky noun
tain revolution? ~.
Where Minerals Come From.
"Were not the sand hills made of
, dune sand accumulating on the shore
of steadily diminishing sea, or swept
from its floor after it had filled with
sediment, and disappeared? Toe the
west of this sea the igneous rocks
were thrust up and were undergoing
chemical disintegration. May not the
beds of volcanic ash, tripoli, soda,
potash and alkali, now in Nebraska,
have found their genesis in the old
rocks of the west, and drifted by pre-
vailing wind, found lodgment in little
estuaries on the eastern shore OF the
ancient inland ocean?
There are myriad marine shells on
these sand hills, and sand granules
vet intact show the very textural ma.
ture Of the thrust up edges of rock in
the mountains west. Are not these
granules today disintegrating into
their native elements ard leaving or