A Legislative Cleanup for Washington's Tide Lands and School Lands
A joint committee found no corruption in the state land office but recommended abolishing costly local tide-land appraisers, trimming the land cruisers, and centralizing public-land oversight.
The joint legislative committee that investigated the state land department recommends that the local boards of tide land appraisers be abolished; that the seven state land cruisers employed on commission be replaced by two at a fixed yearly salary; that the school land appraisers be abolished; that the assistant attorney general be abolished and their work done by one attorney employed by the state land board; and that the state land board be composed of the commissioner of public lands and two other members appointed by the governor. The committee found the books of the present state land commission in excellent condition, and that the commission had saved money to the state by increasing the school land rentals. There is not one word of criticism in the report as to the work of the commission. The local boards of tide land appraisers have been very expensive; indeed, in one city it is said the appraised value of the tide lands will not cover the cost of appraisal. The tide land appraisers in some counties have abused the authority given them. The committee has no blame for the other officers, and the other recommendations are made purely in the interest of economy. The state board's power is to be increased by giving it supervision of tide land surveys, appraisements and sales; by directing that strict records be kept with county officers as to school lands; by making an appropriation to prosecute trespassers; and by authorizing the state to advance money for the survey of new townships.
“The local boards of tide land appraisers have been very expensive; indeed, in one city it is said the appraised value of the tide lands will not cover the cost of appraisal.”
Public-land management was a major source of revenue and patronage in 1890s Washington, and the fight over appraisers and surveys was really a fight over who would control the state's shorelines and school trust lands. The same tension—local boards, state oversight, and the cost of administering public resources—still shapes debates over public lands and waterfront development.
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