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Show IDAHO FOUNDS fIRST STATE FOREST; 0BTAINSD1SPUTED TRACTFROM GOVERNMENT BOIWE, Id.. July 17. Idaho it fiven com Diet xwwihIob of 7f,000 acres of dim of the most valuable tlmbor lands located In U Clearwater national forest north Idaho, and Included In school sections sec-tions 1 and S aa the mult of the rUlt here laat week of Associate Forester A. r. Potter to BoIm to confer with the state land board and settle tha vexing question of title to school lndmnltr se-lectlone. se-lectlone. or 1 and 24 aa sect lone In every township Tha associate forester wm here aa tha representative of tha United Rtafee tr rarry out tha agreement that waa mad a by Governer Jama H. Haw lev. Attorney General D. C McDouaall, senator A. O. Kerns and others who want to Washington where a oonfaranoa wit bold with tha' attorney general, heads of tha various departments and finally with President William H. Taft. on Mm matter of tha claim of Idaho to what has been often termed Its birthright. birth-right. Urn Amount Inyolyad. The question of tha right of the atata to school Indemnity sections within forest for-est reaerves created by tha government haa been one that for vears has threat-ened threat-ened to deprive Idaho of ravanua amounting. It haa often bean estimated, in the millions of dollars as well aa many thounands of acres of soma of tha moat valuable landa In tha atata. . A greater part of tha lands Included within the forest reserves created In this atata la claimed aa unsurveved. When tha atata attempted to taka possession of sections U and 2 within each township In theaa foraata claiming; the rlffht to do ao under tha admission bill by which tha rant was made by tha government to the state of tha Indemnity selections. tfte government tnterfe rrjjojagg that until surveyed sections If and 20 belong- to tha aovernment and not to tha atata. Tha matter waa taken up by tha resle-lature resle-lature and resulted In a commit tae going to Washington headed hy Senator A. O. Kama to find out If something; could not be done hy which tha atata could hold Its right and train poaaesaion to tha land within tha forest reaervea whenever wanted. Fol'owina- the trip of this committee. com-mittee. Governor Hawley. accompanied by Attorney General McDouaall. mada tha same trip and this time ooneulied with Prealdent Taft. who took tha atand that Idaho should not be deprived of tha landa vested to It bv tha admission bill. He stated that the matter Would be taken up and straightened out. henoa tha visit of Associate Foreater Potter. Oata Cletrwater Lands. The land board snd associate foreater conferred on tha matter for a data with the result that the federal government i presented to the state tha 76.000 acres of timber tanda in tha Clearwater nation- al forest. In return for which tha state sjrrees to maintain tha land to ba ellml- I nated as a state forest to be uaed for ; tha benefit of the state at tanre. it be-Ina: be-Ina: tha understand Ins; that the state In keeping! up tha forest will follow out the i plan of the government In conservation of the public lands that are timbered and l the maintenance of water sheds and I protection of streams. "I am sure that ths action taken bv the state officials will be very a: ratify-Ins ratify-Ins to President Taft and Secretary Wilson as It la directly In line with their Idea of forest conservation." stated Mr. Potter. "Tha atata of Idaho has ex-preaaed ex-preaaed a desire to consolidate all of achool sections 10. and 2 Into compact solid bodies hy tha exchange of theaa scattered sections fir lands of apnroxl mate value and character. "Thla will be very agreeable to the forest service as thts policy Is directly In line as that upon which It has been proceed Ina for aome time paat. It la the principal oblect for which a bill waa introduced by Con areas man Hammer Of Idaho at the laat eeaalon of congress, a bill that passed tha houae but fulled In the aenate. It haa been redrafted and introduced by Senator Borah during tha present session. Tha pasaajta of this bill will clear up any doubt that might exist aa to the authority of any western state to make such exchange. But In view of the recent decision of the supreme su-preme court tt Is probable that the atata of Idaho haa the neoeeaarv authority to proceed with the consolidation of Its school lands without awaiting the further action of congress. Same Situation in Sooth Dakota,' A similar agreement was entered Into between the secretary of sericulture and the atata of South Dakota. A commission commis-sion was appointed to examine the lands and determine their character and value, snd it Is expected that this commission will submit a report In a short time under un-der which lands will be eliminated from the Black Hills forest reservation and enable that atata to nave Its achool lands In a compact body. Idaho Is far In advance ad-vance of South Dakota for the reason that it has already practically made He examlnattona and knows Just what It wishes to do. "It la understood that as the result of the aareement entered Into between the associate foreater and the tend board here the atata haa the selection of approximately ap-proximately ft 00,000 acres. By the eltml-natlop eltml-natlop of the "t.ooo acres In the Clearwater Clear-water national foreat the first a late forest for-est la created In Idaho, thla atle takine? the lead of all others in thla one particular par-ticular ss It is the first boast of a atata forest made possible by the fas era! ovrnment " |