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Show U. 5. 110 OFFICE .SCOBEDIfl REPORT! Disputes Constantly Arising and Proper Legislation Is Urged. MANY SALES ARE MADE State Board Will Ask the Legislature for Money to Fight Suits. Friction with the federal land office in regard to the handling of public lands forms the subject of a great part of the report of the state board of land 0 commissioners filed with Governor Simon Bamberger yesterday. Legislation Legisla-tion is urged on the part of the federal government to terminate tho disputes that are constantly arising. One subject brought into question continually, says the report,, is- the state's right to mineral lands included in school land grants. This question is now at issue in the case of the Government Gov-ernment versus Sweet. The defendant purchased some school land from the state, but later his title was questioned by the general land office on the ground that the land was mineral. The general land office brought suit to compel him to-relinquish title and won in the federal fed-eral court here. Sweet, with the land board intervening inter-vening in his behalf, appealed to the circuit court of appeals and had the decision of the lower court reversed. The government has now appealed to the supreme court. The land board report says the decision is awaited with great interest because it will affect the validity of numerous titles granted by the state from school lands. Fixes Maximum Loans. Other matters of dispute, according to the report, are surveyed school sections sec-tions in national forests, state selections, selec-tions, both quantity and indemnity; saline grants, school section titles, adjustment ad-justment of entries based on settlement affecting school sections, and coal lands. The report complains that the federal government has withheld approval of selections made by the state for as long as twenty years, although it has approved others of similar character immediately. im-mediately. The entire matter will be settled, says the report, if school land grants be considered absolute and not subject to exemption on the ground of mineral bearing. The land board now has $4,081,742.27, accrued from land sales, invested in securities authorized by law, such as irrigation and municipal bonds, farm loans and loans to the state. The re- port states that no more money is being be-ing loaned except to the state and as farm loans. Application for the latter have been so numerous that the board has had to place the maximum amount to be loaned on one farm at $5000. Farm loans bring 6 per cent interest, and loans to the state 5 per cent. Asks Appropriation. '. The report speaks favorably of the artesian well experiments in various parts of the state. It now has two wells m Utah county, two in Juab, one in Iron, one in Boxelder and one in San Juan county. Little has been done during dur-ing the past two years in promoting Carey act projects, although those already al-ready under way are said to be making good progress. Several land sales have been made, the minimum price being $2.50 an acre. There are 200,000 acres of school land in the forest reserves, but owing to uncertainty regarding the government 's attitude toward it none of it is being sold. Profitable leases are made every year, however. The board recommends that sufficient monev be appropriated as it may be needed to pay for legal advice in the contests with the government and with individuals over titles to state land. It also recommends an amended fee law for paying the expense of the department, depart-ment, but opposes granting permission to the land, board to use interest money it collects to pay its expenses on the ground that it would encourage extravagance ex-travagance and be an injustice to the institutions entitled to the income from various grants. The boardiasks for an appropriation of $60,200, to be divided among- the following items: Salaries of commissioners, commis-sioners, $0600; salarv of secretary, $3600; salaries of employees, $30,000: expenses of commissioners and appraisers. apprais-ers. $S0OO: Carey act projects, $o000; and miscellaneous expense, $10,000. |