Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/147

Rh also had in mind that the proceeds from all state lands should be devoted only to purposes of education. The internal improvement grant was, subject to the approval by Congress of this step, to be diverted to this purpose. Accordingly this board was in the state constitution designated as "a board of commissioners for the sale of school and university lands and for the investment of funds arising therefrom". This board was subsequently given charge of the work of disposing of the agricultural college lands and of the non-educational grants later accruing to the state. How unfortunate this arrangement proved will appear presently. The volume of land business increased about as the own proper functions of each one of these state officials expanded to engross his attention. Their responsibilities as members of the state land board were shifted to an irresponsible "clerk". Either the land laws and the conditions under which the successive clerks served paralyzed the powers and virtues of these clerks or the state had a long run of exceedingly ill-luck in that line of officials.

While on the subject of the administrative corps for the care of the people's interest in state's public lands, the relation to the state land board and its clerk to the work of another state land official should be mentioned. The governor has from 1862 on been the "land commissioner for the state of Oregon and empowered and directed to locate all the lands to which the state is entitled". He was authorized to employ at first temporarily an agent acquainted with the section of the state in which it was proposed to make selections 1. From 1878 on there has been a permanent locating agent who in 1895 became known as the "state land agent 2 ". But it has not been the practice of the state to rely upon this official exclusively for the work of selecting state lands. At first county super-

1 The "General Laws" of the first regular session, i860, contain a statute signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate but not approved by the Governor. This authorizes the Governor to select lands and to employ a suitable person or persons to assist him but makes no provision for their compensation. General Laws, 1862, pp. 105-7.

2 Laws of Oregon, tenth regular sess., 1878, pp. 41-55-