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Show SCHOOL LIBS IE HIDE IVIIUBIf Hundreds of thousands of acres of school lands within the national forest area of Utah, title to which has been in question betweon the state and the government for years, will be mado available to the state for disposal for the benefit of school funds as a result of a decision by the supreme court of the United States. There are 422,000 acres of such land in Utah and Senator William H. King has requested the general land office to expedite action upon the Utah lists, that the state may come into full possession pos-session of the lands and derive all the benefits arising from such possession. The decision by the supreme court of the United States was in tho case of the state of California, plaintiff in error, er-ror, against the Deseret Water, Oil and Irrigation Co.,. reversing a prior decision deci-sion of the supreme court of California. This decision has formed tho basis of action by the department of tho interior inte-rior which will clear titles to these lands, which in various states have been the subject of different court rulings and decisions. Under the state court decisions it has been held that the titlo to school lands in the forest area was vested wholly in the states, while the land department de-partment held that these lands could only bo used as bases for lieu selections. selec-tions. The land department contention conten-tion Is upheld by the supremo court thus settling the validity of the title to state lands selected in lieu of school sections In the forests. The land department Is now checking check-ing up tho school land Indomnity lists, with the view to having them clear-listed clear-listed at once, and that patents may be granted to Individuals who havo purchased pur-chased the lands from tho states. Great areas of these lands have been contracted for in various of the western west-ern states, but the contracts could not be carried out because of the uncertainty uncer-tainty of tho states' rights. The areas involved are as follows: Utah, 422.000 acres; Idaho. G86.000 acres; Montana, 444,700 acres; Oregon, 352,200 acres; Washington, 120,000 acres; Wyoming, 506.000 acres. oo |