Trespasses On State Land

One of the most important duties of the coinmissioner of the state land oftiee is to lookafter the trespassers on state lands. There is a constant temptation to dishonest luraber and timber operators to make raids on tlie rich fields of operations ovvued by tho state, and the keenest vi-i lance is neeesaary to protect the people f rom beintf robbed by this class of operators. It may be interestingr to the people to know how inuch better their interests have been watched bv the present administration. than they were by the Democratie administration. The follovving table shows the amounts collected f rom trespassers on state lands under the Democratie administration of the land office and uner the Kepublican administration up to October 1: Trespass cullected under Democratie admiaIstratioa: Por 1891.' Í818 00 For mtí 1,060 00 Trespass collected undcr Republican administration : For 18K! $2,350 78 For 1894, to October 1, 1894 0,494 05 Total amount collected under Democratie administration S1.078 00 Total amount collected under Republican administration 8,845 43 A diiïerenee in favor of Republican administration to date Í7.167 43 From March 20, 1894, since the administration of William A. Krench, the present state land commissioner, and the Republican candidato, there has been colleeted for trespass, 85,891.40. During the Democratie administratiou the trespass agents, undcr the direction of Land Commissioner Shaffer, were so zealous in their attempts to cover money iuto the state treasury, in order to meet the rapidly diminishing surplus left by the Republicana, that they did Bot liesitate to extort inoney from persons who were found cutting timbcr on theirown land, and S4UO was squeezed from the l'resque Isle Luiuber companyof Hammond's üay for alleged trespass on land belonging to the coiu pany. The report of this col led ion may be found on page five of courimissioner's report i'or 1 892, and in state state treasurer's report for 1892, page eight, and on pago 4üü of public acts of ÍS'.KÍ. In order to right this wrong, as lar as they could do so, tlie legislature, by joint resolution No. 33, approved June 1, 1893, provided for a settlement with Mc l'resque Isle Luinber eompany for tlie daraages sustained, and sucli adjustment was subsequently made by the boürd of state auditors.