REPORT

OF

THE GOVERNOR OF IDAHO.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Boise City, October 18, 1884.

SIR: With a view to a thorough compliance with your request of September 17, and with glowing and absorbing pride in Idaho's past and possibilities, I have the honor to refer you to the complete documents on the geography, topography, climate, and products of this Territory made by my brilliant, sapient, and erudite predecessors, in the certain knowledge that should any information of those characters be needed by the Department it may be found in their incomparable reports.

I deem it but simple justice to the gentlemen who so ably filled the place I now hold, to confine myself rigidly to your request, "to forward a report of the affairs, and of the progress and development of the Territory, together with any suggestions, relating to the Territory, to which the attention of Congress should be directed," to the end that their historical, geological, topographical, geographical, and atmospherical researches, which were only secured by patient exploration through Territorial pamphlets, &c., may stand as authentic authority.

I have the honor to further submit, by way of explanation, that although I have worked arduously during my short residence here as the presiding officer of the commonwealth, I have to regret that in such a great scope of territory, where the people have such a diversity of interests, many matters of importance must naturally have escaped my attention.

FINANCIAL.

The Territory is practically free from debt, having in reality a funded indebtedness of $69,268.60, as follows:

Note that this result has been achieved under a reduction in the tax rate of from 75 cents to 40 cents on the $100 within the past three years, and from 40 cents to 25 cents during the past year, and that during that time, owing to the increase of population, a heavier drain by the prison, care of indigent sick and insane, &c., the current expenses of the Territory have more than doubled.

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The total net receipts from all sources during the fiscal year ending April 1,1884, were $32,146.90, an excess over the previous year of nearly $2,600, notwithstanding the reduction in taxation above indicated.

The following table, by counties, shows the assessed valuation of real and personal properties on the usual basis of one-half value:

The total valuation under the original assessment rolls of the previous year was $9,238,021.05, showing an increase of nearly fifty per cent. in one year, and it is surely fair to say the proportion of increase has more than kept up during the time since the assessment rolls were computed. This does not include the value of mining properties in the Territory, whose improvements alone are taxed and whose value, if assessed, would at least double the showing of the assessment rolls.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

There is no one subject that Idaho takes more pride in and care of than education and her public schools. While the system is susceptible of improvement and is being yearly improved to keep pace with the growing needs of the people, it will compare favorably with that of many old States. The system is based largely on local supervision, the charge and supervision of the schools being left mainly to local trustees elected annually, who are subject to the revision of a county superintendent, to whom they report, who in his turn makes an annual report to the superintendent of public instruction and he to the executive department of the Territory. The latest report shows twelve thousand children of the proper age to attend school. There are three hundred school districts in the Territory, and graded schools have been established in Boise City and Lewiston. The school and school house in Boise City are not excelled anywhere. Teachers' conventions are held in the more populous counties, and a commendable local pride and competition exist. The chief sources of support for public schools are local taxation (which I deeply regret to say includes a tax on gambling), fines for public offenses, and certain licenses.

The Territorial school fund is limited to receipts from escheated estates and to certain insurance licenses. In regard to a needed relief for our public-school fund, or perhaps I had better say a co-operation in the ef orts and purposes of citizens of this Territory to improve the efficiency of the public-school system, a word. I need not call your attention to the fact, now universally understood and conceded, that the only safe basis of a republican government is the intelligence and education of the masses. Congress, in February, 1881, set aside certain demesnes, to wit, seventy-two sections of the public lands of Idaho for public-school

purposes, under certain restrictions, that for the present generation make the benefaction practically useless. These sections, with the 3,000,000 acres of school lands (sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections) allowed by general law, may reasonably be expected at some future period to form a basis of a sound and munificent school system. But meanwhile the children of the Territory increase; the necessity for normal schools, graded schools, longer sessions, better teachers, scientific instruction, more school-houses, and better ones presses on the people beyond their ability to bear and meet. It is suggested that in the struggling infancy of a State or Territory is the time, if ever, when the fostering aid of the General Government is required, and can be given without oppres sive patronage on the one side or surrender of manly independence on the other. I would therefore suggest that some provision be made by Congress whereby the munificence of the grant shall be, in part, presently realized; either that portions of the school lands be sold or the entire sections leased for a term of years and the proceeds applied to a general Territorial school fund, which can be utilized at once in the better, higher, more thorough equipment of the rising generation for an earnest, active, useful, honest, and successful part in the battle of life.

MINING.

This Territory, rich in its practically boundless deposits of mineral wealth, has not developed as extensively within the past year as was expected. Many of our rich mining districts are even now virtually idle. This much-to-be-deplored condition is occasioned by various circumstances and conditions, the more important of which are the timidity of capital, lack of scientific knowledge on the part of the average miner, and lack of practical experience on the part of the average expert. There are other difficulties in the way which stand as insurmountable barriers to the rapid progress of mining in Idaho. The mining laws are imperfect. Mining interests need the strong hand of rigorous law to call back operations to the mines, where they shall be real, instead of figuring upon the stock boards, where they are pretentious shams, based upon the credulity of the people; which state of things is fast confounding the supposititious with the real, and has always worked to the great detriment of honest mining.

If there were a school or system established that would bring about a happy medium between the unlearned miner and the theoretical expert it would redound to the general good, and to a considerable extent preclude the possibility of investors in mining being so often, so extensively, and so outrageously swindled by sharpers and companymongers.

Mining is our chief source of wealth, and employs in this Territory a greater number of men, despite all the drawbacks, and a greater amount of capital than any other industry. The development in gold and silver during the past year has been at a ratio of 50 per cent.; the output of mineral wealth of the Territory being, as nearly as can be ascertained, about $7,000,000. Idaho has greater mineral belts than any other Territory or State in the Union. The most extensive belt lies on the western slope and the spurs of the Rocky Mountains, that enter the Territory in Oneida County and run the entire length of it to Lake Pend d'Oreille, a distance of 410 miles.

The mines and discoveries on this immense belt now being worked begin in the Wood River country and extend to Cœur d'Alène. All that country on this belt lying between Sawtooth, in Alturas County,

Fourth. That the finding of the water is not accidental and doubtful, but is quite as regular and certain as can be expected of such enterprises.

Fifth. That no reasonable doubt exists of the possibility of carrying the same system of improvement into other valleys of Arizona, and thus greatly extending her means of industry.

The deepest well bored was 83 feet. Mr. Sanderson's success stimulated others, and several other wells are reported in operation in the southern portion of the Territory, notably one near Florence, in Pinal County.

This is a subject of the utmost importance to the progress of Arizona, and the assistance of Congress is desired in demonstrating the feasibility of developing water on the uplands and higher valleys of the Territory, where great depth is required and the experiment is too expensive for poor settlers, and where under existing laws no inducement is offered to the rich to reclaim land by this means. The Government still owns nearly all the table land of Arizona, and if water were procured on these uplands by artesian process the results would far more than repay the expense and the benefit to the Territory be very great.

APPOINTMENT OF A FOURTH UNITED STATES JUDGE.

This is a very important requirement of the Territory. The extent of each of the three judicial districts as at present formed is very great, and the labor of the judges is steadily increasing. The demand for the appointment of another judge in Arizona has been felt for several years, and the recommendation has been previously urged upon the attention of Congress.

SALARIES OF TERRITORIAL JUDGES.

In this connection I would urge upon Congress that, owing to the extraordinary labor performed by the United States judges in this Territory, the large districts over which they are called to preside claiming the entire attention and time of said judges in the performance of their official duties, the heavy expenditure necessary for payment of expenses of traveling from points remote from each other within their districts where terms of court are held, the very heavy expenses required by them in this Territory to support their families, the salary which they now receive be increased from $3,000 to at least $5,000 per year.

PAY OF LEGISLATORS.

The present pay of legislators in the Territories, $4 per day, is not sufficient to defray the ordinary expenses of the member during the session of the legislature, and I respectfully renew the recommendation contained in my last report that the pay of legislators in Arizona be increased to at least $8 per day.

SALARY OF GOVERNOR AND TERRITORIAL SECRETARY.

I would respectfully urge that Congress appropriate, for the payment of the salaries of governors and secretaries of the Territories, the amount now named by law, viz, $3,500 and $2,500, respectively. The present appropriations of $2,600 and $1,800 are inadequate compensation for the services which these officers are required to perform aud do not reimburse them for the expenses which they incur in conducting the affairs of the Government, and the payment of the cost of supporting their families, which is much greater in the Territories than in most of the older settled communities.