Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-09

amount or construction charges which
may be assessed against the lands.
This section ought to be repealed. The
lands herein referred to were given to
the state of Idaho by the national gov
eminent for specific purposes and
were not intended to be used and sold
all at one time, but were supposed to
be distributed over term of years as
homeseekers desired them. The state
Is simply trustee for these lands to
be used for the designated purpose
These irrigation districts have been
organized and in some instances mis-
takes have been made, as they are
likely to occur in all new enterprises
The maintenance charges have grown
to be eXorhitant and the state has no
voice in the management thereof, nor
can it vote at meeting of the board
of directors, nor is the board of di-
rectors amenable TO the state in any
way for anything, and in many in
stances the maintenance charges are
made sufficiently high so that the state
bears a large burden of the district.
When these lands are sold they are
sold on 40 years time and the money
paid for their reclamation does not re-
turn in full until the lapse of that pc
Rod and it is then practically i'm
possible to divide the proceeds so that
the general fund of the state may be
reimbursed, and while it may be un
dertakcn, it is not feasible. The pay
ment of these assessments has to be
made out of the general fund and has
to be raised by direct tax levy on all
the property of the state
In borrowing money for eXtraordi-
NARY purposes the state aims to shift
the burden TO posterity when the in
creased values and increased popula-
ton will make the burden lighter but
in this instance this policy is reversed.
The present generation is taxed and
burdened so that the coming genera
lions may reap the reward Of the Ia
bors of the present one TO an extent
that in my opinion is wrong from every
standpoint.
These appropriations to municipal
irrigation pro ects have hecn the means
OF building up political machines in the
districts in which the lands are To-
Gated, with intense rivalry biennially
to get the candidates pledged for large
appropriations and quite a considera-
Bile lobby is maintained at the sessions
OF the legislature Go Influence the
members in the same direction.
The sovereign power of the state by
this law is made secondary TO private
organization, and as a sovereign state,
is made amenable to tho rules and
regulations OF q few of tho inhabitants
Of Il district when the management OF
these various districts is not conducted
on business lines and the maintenance
charges are Zoo large the state is bound
to suffer loss
by this law the state board is given
authority 10 exercise tho functions of
the legislature in making uppropria-
tions binding upon the legislature be-
fore its members are even elected.
With such a law on the statute books
there is no way to determine the ncccs-
sary appropriations To he made from
year to year by the legislature. 1t IS
wrong to tax the man who builds his
own irrigation works and pays for
il himself and also to ask him to pay
for the irrigation works Of some one
else
/ manifested my disapproval of this
law two years ago and ] again desire
SO to express myself IN tho hope that
some remedial legislation may be had
whereby this burden may be taken
off the people and put where ii belongs,
on tho district and upon the people
WilA IttttA3 ne Ifllt'iil anu Alie ltllltl9
of tie state be allowed to lie idle until
such time as there is demand for
them. when those charges can be added
to the lands. In place of those lands
helm, an asset to the state, as the ma
tional government intended, they are
n liability and as soon as this liability
is discharged and the state gets out
from under these projects the better 1t
will be for all concerned.
LoANlNG OF MONEY.
! would recommend that n law be
passed making it possible to loan state
money, ami the repayment thereof on
what is known as the amortization
plan.
Much criticism has been launched
against the state land board, which has
been susceptible To attack for the work
performed, but within the last year, in
order to correct the OWLS complained
of 4 set of rules has been adopted COW
ering the leasing of lands and the loan
ing of state money. | suggest the con
sideration OF these rules with the view
of found worthy, that they be enacted
into law which would prevent the pos
sihility Of recurrence &C many evils
which have caused much Of the eriti-
cism of the past. These rules up to
the present have worked well. Other
changes may be found necessary and
the land board is diligently studying
them, and may be able TO make still
further suggestions for their improve
ment
The land board has become an or
ganiza ton doing 4 gigantic business;
its labors are many and its meetings
are frequent. II is endeavorne To or
ganize itself into a business body
and the moro safeguards thrown
around ii, the better II will be for tho
interests of the state. Much of the
welfare of the agricultural and stock
raising industries of the state depend
upon the proper handling of the agri-
cultural and grazing lands owned by
the state. \ vast revenue can be de-