Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-02-18 | Page 1 | Utah Land Question is up at Washington

UTAH LB QUESTION is yp (i 'mm. Governor Spry Endeavoring to Obtain Ruling From Interior In-terior Department. .Special to Tlic Tribune. WASHINGTON, Fob. 17. Governor William "Spry, Attorney General A. R. Jennies and other Utah state oflieials aro hero to take up with Secretary Lane, of the interior department, questions ques-tions involving the validity of titles to school and slato lands which have been granted to Utah by virtue of the act of admission to statehood. Until recently, lands acquired by tho state, not known to contain coal or otiicr minerals min-erals at the time of cession, Hissed to patent ami the grant, was regarded as stable. Under later rulings, the government gov-ernment has disputed 1 fie validity of pateutri and sought to set them asido if granted for lands on which coal hud been discovered subsequent to the cession ces-sion of tbo lands to tho state. Under ibis procedure the titles conveyed by the stato to purchasers of state and school lands have in many instances boon overturned and innocent purchasers pur-chasers subjected to annoyance and l0Thc "overnor and other slate officials with him intend, if possible, to secure a ruling from the secretary of the interior in-terior which will iiisuns tbo title ot all school or other lands which have been acquired bv the stale and will place the acquisition of additional lands on a known busis so that tho stato can pas title to them without tear ot. having hav-ing such titles upset by later change in tho proceduro followed by the interior in-terior department. . Much confusion and hardship has resulted re-sulted from thr changing policies ot tlic interior department and the governor and his party will mnko an earnest effort ef-fort to have the situation remedied.