Show I r REFUND TO EARLY SETTLERS Many citizens o or of Utah are deeply in In Ibe Question of Ct f the refund of money mone by b the state to toi i on school lands prior to the X States surveys and who claim to ban av paid more for their land than did others other It is ix held beld by those who appeal for fr it relief lief at the hands of the present leg legislature legIslature that U l their request is a Just one md nd that they Ui ask only the return of their own They declare that the under law aw Is obligated JJ to re refund refund fund und the sums sims overpaid A com corn communication has been addressed to the J on the subject which sets forth at length the circumstances under Ich these claims arose The communication communication cation reads To the Honorable Members of the Seventh legislature of the State of nab B sentiment expressed in the state constitutional convention was that settlers on school lands prior to the United States surveys thereof should II the right to purchase their holdings tt t 1 12 25 per acre or at a greatly reduced 1 rice from present value but finally re r erred the subject to the legislature The first state legislature l 1896 16 enacted that hat these settlers should be permitted 19 to purchase their holdings at nt one j fourth the appraised value In 1897 1891 these i were appraised at current value nod end the state land board held that all thereon that could not prove proe set settlement lement prior to the time the United i States surveyors drove their first stakes upon said lands could ouId not have this ape special cial rial preference A number of such set settlors tiers principally In Utah county count mado made this proof and secured their holdings at of the appraised value but butI b t the I the he majority of school landowners held that the r States surveys made In Jn the early Oa were not completed and in Infect effect before the plats plato and notes thereof were Here pre filed In the local United States land office established March 1 I 1869 1863 This position is upheld by the courts i Have Holdings Forfeited But Rut during durin 1837 1897 and 1893 the land board being bing very persistent In Its construction of the th tb law of urged all an these theBe settlers to take their holdings at the full ap appraised appraised praised raised price upon which basis all aU their certificates had been written and In many man cases cae Issued or lost all aU their rights to purchase these holdings s Some complied but tnt many refused Some hall hail their holdings forfeited and sold to oth others others ers are while the majority stood upon their rights In the early part of oC a num number number number ber of this determined class after aCter their repeated repented appeals to the land board had been rejected decided to take the matter Into the tho courts but as os the Third state legislature was In session its offered and did enact a law Chip 86 granting the special preference to tD all settlers on school lands prior to March 1 1869 and further provided that where lands thus settled had been sold by the state for full appraised value or cot certificates certificates had bad been Issued on the basis basig Bu h settlers and purchasers should have bare their rights and money re restored restored restored stored to them after their holdings had been fully tull paid by filing tiling their claims and proof before the succeeding legislatures Thereafter during the year 1890 1899 a great eat number of oC these settlers purchased their at the ap praised value others took tOk ten years ars time at the full fuU appraised value to pay for their lands When full fuU payment has been made these theBe settlers have hae filed their claims and proof and recovered three fourths fo of the purchase pricey paid and andin andIn andin in some cases the interest paid It is estimated that of such sueh set settlers settlErs tIers have already secured their rights and tile the on is I appealing to the present legislature for the same rights accorded their neighbors In hi the same class Should Not Repudiate Some members of the legislature and some state officers however feel dis disposed di disposed posed to reject these claims but It must be because they hae haVe not fully gone Into the facts and merits of the matter No 10 citizen of or Utah and least of all state officers and members of its legis legislature legislature legislature lature would have our fair state repudiate repudiate ate these diese Just and legal obligations en entered entered entered with her bel early settlers These settlers s are not asking a dona aona donation donation tion Uon of public funds but only oCly for the tho re return return return turn to them of or their own money mone ac according according cording cordin to a state sta te obligation enacted into law Respectfully submitted by INTERESTED PARTIES Salt Like L ke City Utah March 16 1007 IT |