American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-05-23
CABINET MEMBER VISITS
RLACkFOOT LAST NEEk.
q. II. Barber, Commissioner OF Immi-
grafton, Labor and Statistics, VS.
Its City-Nnl Meet Citizens May "a.

Commissioner OF Immigration. La
Dor and Statistics, o. H. Barber. was
a visitor In Blackfoot Friday and Sat
urday.
Mr.. Barber was here for the purpose
of inQuiring into the value and loca-
tion of the five thousand acres of
state land within bingham county,
which are to be sold about the middle
OF July.
In addition to his other duties, MIR.
Barber has been placed in cnarge of
the advertising of all stale lands and
in the answering of all inquiries that
come concerning them. The state land
department has adopted the policy of
punching the sales in order to attract
greater numbers of buyers than has
been done in the past. With this end
in view they have planned the sale of
about fifty thousand acres of land In
the counties of Bingham, Butte, Madi-
son, Fremont, Teton and bonneville.
The first of these sales will bs in Bon
neville county July 11tM next, AT
briggs on the i4th, at ST. Anthony
July 10th, and at Rexburg July 18th.
In Bingham county the sale Will prop
ably be held on July 21st.
Included in this fifty thousand acres
is some of the finest land in the state
of Idaho. In Madison, Fremont and
Teton counties for instance, more than
half the lands to be sold have been
under cultivation for several years, and
much OF the nine hundred car loads
OF grain shipped from Madison county
was grown on these state lands. Their
productiveness is shown by the re-
suits that have beer secured, and a
large influx OF buyers is anticipated.
The land board is advertising these
sales as extensively as its funds will
permit and Il Is hoped to receive a
material increase In the school funds
from the sale of these lands.
Mr.. Barber is laboring under CON
siderable of handicap In getting his
office organized The office of Com
missioner of migration. Labor and
Statistics is a constitional office and
presumably has been filled for TWEEN
| ty-hve of the twenty-nine years since
statehood During the past four years
| there has been no commissioners of
! immigration, owing to the fact thht
| there has been no appropriation Tor
tho payment OF his salary,
When Mr. Barber was appointed a
search was made for the Office equip
nent and records, but II has been Inn
possible to lacate any OF them and he
must build his department from the
foundation up. With the end In view
Of making as few mistakes as possible
and of expediting the gathering of In
formation that is required, he Is en-
route TO Denver, Colo, where he Will
inspect the same department In thai
state, and also of Wyoming at the same
time From these he hopes TO get
much of value In the way of records
that will be required, and the meth
DDS of obtaining the information that
he Will be called upon TO supply.
| The last legislature made this de-
| partment the official bureau or In
formation for all departments OF the
state government and any state offi-
cial IL authorized to call upon this de
partment for any information that he
may require. This mixes II necessary
for the commissioner 10 get this in
formation as rapidly as possible.
Mr.. Barber expects toFeturn to Black
foot Saturday. May oath, and at thai
time would like TO address the news
paper men who are expected to be here
and also TO speak to as many OF this
citizens OF Blackfoot az are interested
in the work OF his department. Th'
work of gathering the necessary infor
nation being 80 stupendous task, !
will be impossible for one man 10 ac
complish IL and he asks the citizens o
G}lackfoot and OF Idaho, 10 cosoperat
with him In the undertaking -'Blng
ham County News.