The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-08-23

~ A~~ ~AA ANSAANAAAAA<l
At recent meeting of the state land
board John w. Eagleson state treas
urer, called attention to the large
school fund on hand, about three quar-
tiers of million dollars, and made
suggestions which if adopted would
result in loaning this money and
thereby. greatly increase the revenues
Of the state and make a corresponding
reduction in the amount collected by
direct taxation. Governor Alexander,
Of course. took issue with the state
treasurer, and finally requested that
official. to reduce his recommendations
to writing. Mr.. Eagleson has COM
Piled with that request, submitting a
paper which contains much valuable
information to the taxpayers and
showing up the methods of the land
board In the matter making loans in
rather unfavorable light. Extracts
from Mr. Eageson's statement are
here given:
Facts. From the Record.
IN order to- present the actual con-
ditions as they are. I have had to
take considerable time to examine the
records. The data there disclosed
shows beyond question the reason for
the states idle money and consequent
loss Of interest amounting to over
$4,000 during the last six months. 1t
clearly illustrates the old adage that
& farmer can lead horse to water but
cannot make him drink Especially II
the horse becomes suspicious of either
the farmer or the water). So 1t is
with the land board lending money
to the farmer. 1t has presented him
to the states financial watering trough
but he refuses to take the unheard OF
proportion of IS per cent of the farm
loans as finally allowed and offered to
him.. The records show conclusively
why this is and what has queered the
board and the states money in the
eyes Of the farmer, and while the state
is losing an enormous amount OF In
terest the farmer who has rejected
this cheap idle money is voluntarily
paying an even greater sum in COM
missions and excess interest just to
avoid being enmeshed in what the
records show to be the whimsical UNI
busnesslike methods 81 the land
board This is condition supremely
astounding, and has never ben paral-
- lxa.1 h,lCi v,nC
ton anywhere or at any time
Present Cumbersome Methods.
Under the present methods Of pro-
cedure the farmer to get loan must
run the gauntlet as follows: He must
first write to the register of the land
board to get information, and an ap-
plication blank is then sent to him.
This he must fill out and mail back to
the register together with / per cent
OF the amount of the loan desired as
an appraisement fee. The register
then refers the application to the land
commissioner and he In turn refers It
to an appraiser. II 1t happens to be
during the summer, the appraiser goes
ment, but if application is made In
the winter, the farmer must wait until
the next summer to get 1t appraiser.
After the appraisement has been made,
the application and appraisement are
then turned over to the register ana
he takes 1t before the land board
where it is either allowed, cut down
or rejected. If the loan Is allowed
the register then writes for the alb
stract and as soon as 1t Is sent In,
he sends it to the attorney general Tor
his opinion. The abstract and opinion
are then returned to the register and
he returns the abstract together with
note and mortgage for signature OF
the applicant who places the papers
of record, has his abstract brought
down showing mortgage recorded, ano
then returns the abstract and papers
to the register who once more sfor-
wards the abstract to the attorney
general for his opinion. The ABSTRACT
ard opinion of the attorney genera
are again returned to the register
who issues an order on the auditor
which must first go to the governor
and be countersigned before the war
rant can be issued. The auditor draws
the warrant in favor Of the governor
as chairman Of the state land board
II is sent to the governor and ne II