Show STATE LAND commission please to permit us to draw the at eat ibn of the public through the calums to 10 some of the unjust and Viar ranted propositions of the bill 1600 fitly introduced in the house by bolitho establishing a state land com amion and denning defining its duties as out fined in a morning of the dinst wd W are informed that the board shall ef cf five members at a salary of rw 1500 each to hold halo office for four years the first members to remain f for or five years and that lor for the purpose of cocat II 11 in lands the board is is empowered II 11 to employ competent assistants at a y salary of 4 daily thus indicating that H the so duties of the commission may be merely supervisory and a host of em aloyes hired to do the locating of t 4 at unusually large salaries why SO many commissioners at such high ul salaries aries tor for it seems evident thattie that the commissioners are not expected to put if hr all their time as one of their number may be secretary for which he may dive into bato the public funds for another boo per annum Is this the economy that the condition of the states finances calls for this board is given exclusive control of all state lands with power to dispose of them in any way surely the legislature will adopt some safeguard safe guard whereby the rights of settlers and the public trusts will be protected heres another galling provision of this dds extraordinary bill Water rights are expressly stated to revert to the state upon the expiration of a lease can that bd true and if so is it not a bold 4 attempt att emot on an the part of the strong to wrest west justly acquitted acquited acquit ed rights from the weak ilind and that too in face of that protective provision of our state ri which confirms all existing water ati ats to their owners or is it intended turn the state into a vast corporation ta form the millions of acres of its vast damain for all they are worth and to keep its citizens in in a state of bondage ra M whatever advantages may occur to erther states by leasing their agricultural lands land IN herie here conditions are entirely and whatever disposition may ma y be made of other lands in the state it is a solf self evident fact that those farmers who haye have a right to the use of the water iff a any district should also own the land benefited by ildr it or there would be a conflict condict Q of ittia interests rests that would prevent the labing of di such lands and a profitable use ol 01 the waters in such cases such conditions would prevent a full development of the gr at resources of our state and repel the thousands of home seekers who would otherwise settle within our borders while said bill contains some fair provisions there are many that indicate that it will not be in the interests of the citizens nor particularly to the trust funds of the state it opens the financial floodgates flood gates in a manner to alarm the taxpayers and every of our state in such a way as will purely insure the defeat of its obnoxious provisions and lead to the adoption of such a law as will properly administer the great endowment bestowed upon the institutions of our state respectfully AARON HARDY A L JENSEN JENS C NIELSEN MONS MONSON MORONI utah jan 1896 |