Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1921-10-28
STATE WILL GET LAND
FROM GOVERNMENT

FhOM OON EitN AENI
/ Following a conference with State
Land Commissioner C. " Savidge,
/ Senator w l.. Jones has decided to
ask President Harding to issue the
proclamation necessary to complete
the land exchange whereby this state
will obtain 43S,249.90 acres of in
demnity lands in the place of grant
ed lands swallowed up by forest re-
serves. When this acreage is added
to the states holdings and an addi-
tional 19,S83.26 acres of selected
land heretofore chosen are clear
[ listed by the interior department, it
will bring Washington's land hold
ings up to 2,330,13793 acres, credit
ed as follows:
Common schools, 1,S34,S70.92
acres from land grant and 1,31S.64
/ by escheats; scientific, 78,888.52
acres; agricultural, 69,261.86 acres,
these two belonging to the State Col
lege; state university, 92,230.07
acres; charitable, educational, penal
and reformatory institutions, H.
1857 acres; normal schools, Co.
742,55 acres; capital grant, 112,-
669.7O acres.
This means Washington will own
3641 square miles of land, or more
than the combined areas of Della
ware and Rhode Island-2370 and
1850 square miles, respectively. 1t
also means five per cent of this
states area will be state-owned land
Land Commissioner C. V. Savidge
and w. Y. Tanner, then attorney
general, won the final consent of
the interior department and forestry
bureau to the exchange of lands on
the edge of the forest reserves to
this state for land granted Wash
ington in the enabling act but which
the creation of forest reserves made
inaccessible An eight-weeks fight
in the summer of 1913 closed a
fight that had been commenced by
state Officials eight or more years
earlier-when r. A. Ballinger was
commissioner of the general land Of
flee and Clifford Pinchot head of the
/ forestry bureau
Equal acreage and character of
lands were to be exchanged. Thus
Washington will get vast grazing
lands in Eastern Washington and
compact areas of timbered lands
west of the Olympics which will be
taken out of the reserves.
The state cruises and surveys
were finished prior to the war, but
the government withdrew it's engin-
GERS for war duty before the work
for the interior department was fin
ished. The government completed
its work in 1919 but during the clos
ing months of the last administra-
ton and the early months of Har-
ding's administration other more
important matters have had a right
OF way. However, delay in closing
the deal allowed Washington to es-
cape loss through last winters
storm on the Olympic peninsula.
Senator Jones agreed last week to
first take up the matter with the
forestry department, then go to
President Harding and ask that he
issue the proclamation completing
the exchange. Washington's legis-
lature long ago approved of the ex-
change.
After the indemnity Glands are re-
covered Washington still will be en-
titled to a small amount of land in
unsuryeyed districts.
Since statehood, Washington alto
gether has received title to $4,000
acres of capital grant and 2,43S.-
258.26 acres for other grants, in
Guiding 2,752.99 acres that came To
the state from escheated estates.
Thus far sales have reduced the can
ltal grant to 12,669.70 acres and
from the other grants there have
been sold 512,S46.10 acres while
l66,O7709 acres more are under
contract of sale. Thus there right
now are 2,669.70 acres of the cap
ital grant and 1,759,335.07 acres of
other grants left in state ownership
and this total will be swollen to g.
S0,1S7.93 acres when the indem-
nifty lands are obtained.