Statutes, so as to provide who shall issue the car liquor licenses. I trust this will be done. His suggestions regarding the printing of 1,000 copies of the election laws instead of 500, as provided by Sec. 384, R. S., also the game laws and corporation laws, are recommended. for your favorable consideration. THE REVISED STATUTES. The compilation, printing and distribution of the Revised Statutes of Wyoming of 1899 was a matter of paramount importance The necessity for such action was fully realized by the Fifth State Legislature, and in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 52 of the Session Laws of 1899, constituting the Attorney General and Secretary of State a revision commission to revise, compile, and edit the Statutes of Wyoming in force and effect December 1st., 1899, the work was undertaken by the said comunission and carried to a successful conclusion within the time prescribed by the said chapter. The Secretary of State, as required by law, advertised for bids for printing and binding 2.000 copies of this volume, and the firm of Chaplin, Spafford & Mathison, was awarded the contract, their bid being several hundred dollars below that of their nearest competitor. The manner in which the contract was completed was most satisfactory and the firm was paid the sum of $4,780.95-the balance of the $7,000 appropriation, $2,219.05being returned to the general fund. The total cost for preparing and printing the Revised Statutes, in addition to the $5.000 appropriated by the Third State Legislature for the expense of the original revision commission was $5,468.63. making a grand total of $10,468.63, or about $5.23 per volume. Up to Sept. 30th., 1900, there had been 368 of these volumes sold, netting, after deducting the expenses for delivery, $2,460.32, which amount was turned over to the State Treasurer. The Secretary of State has distributed to the various state officers and departments, United States officers, departments, state libraries, etc, 101 volumes, the cost of carriage being paid out of the contingent fund of the Secretary of State. There was on hand Sept. 30th., 1900, in the office of the Secretary of State, 1531 volumes. THE AUDITOR'S REPORT. The report of the Auditor is printed and is before you; its numerous tables show you, at a glance, the receipts and expenditures for the past two years, the sources of revenue, and the probable necessary expenditures for the ensuing two years. These tables show a very marked betterment of the state's financial condition, not only as to the state of its treasury, but the treasury of the individual citizen; this part of the report is carnestly recommended for your consideration. The recommendations upon pages 70 to 72 of the Auditor's report, should have your earnest consideration and I trust will be met by certain action. In addition to his recommendations regarding building and loan associations, I would suggest that there is an apparel.t conflict between Sec. 3271 and Sec. 3030 of the Revised Statutes, and that in consequence building and loan associations have insisted that they were not required to comply with the requirements of Sec. 3030. I would, therefore, recommend that Sec. 3271 be amended, not only as suggested by the Auditor, but also, so as to provide that the Auditor shall not license such associations until they have first complied with the requirements of Sec 3030. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction shows the high stand Wyoming has taken in the matter of public schools. During the past two years, 524 schools have been maintained and over 14,000 pupils have received instruction. The officers and teachers of our public school system from the Superintendent of Public Instruction down, have been zealous and faithful in their high calling. The operation of the free text book law has been most successful and has proven an inestimable boon to a large percentage of our citizens. STATE LANDS. The report of the Register of the State Land Board shows in full detail the results of the leasing of the state lands by counties, and in the different funds to which the rentals are credited. Under the law, the land board is required to meet but four times a year, but because of the immense increase of its business, it has been obliged to meet eighty-three times in the past two years, many of these meetings occupying from one to three days' time. For the purpose of simplifying and expediting business, the board was forced to adopt rules of practice for the trial of cases; these rules seem to have worked not only to the advantage of the board in the dispatch of business, but also, to that of the applicants and contestants. The rentals for the state lands have increased from $224268.69 in 1892 to $91,589.81 in 1900; the great increase having occurred during the past two years; viz., from $40,684.07 in 1898, to $91,589.81 in 1900, an increase of more than 100 per cent. The state owns 3,001,905-48 acres of school sections, being Sections 16 and 36 in each township. Of this amount, 918,054.47 acres have been leased, of this amount, 553,477.93 have been leased during the past two years. There has been, from the date of statehood to Sept. 30, 1900, 1,080,932.24 acres selected this includes indemnity shcool lands-of this amount, 187,683.41 acres have been selected during the past two years. Of this selected land there was, on Sept. 30, 1898, 369,211.80 acres remaining unleased while today there is but 138,761.21 acres unleased, so that, during the past two years, there has not only been a decrease of 230,450.59 acres in the amount theretofore unleased, but there has been an additional leasing of 187,683.41 acres of newlyselected land. During the past two years there has been leased of school lands... Of selected lands.............. Total 553,477.93 acres 418,134.57 acres .971,612.50 acres thereby increasing the income of the state by $50,905.74 During the past two years there has been 259 more leases made than had been made during the eight years previous and there are now on file 100 applications for new leases of school land. There has been sold as follows: 139 town lots in Rawlins and Cheyenne....$ 6,197.57 Total 18,984.80 .$25,182.37 THE FORT M'KINNEY RESERVATION. Under the old arrangement, the custodian of Fort McKinney reservation was paid a salary of $600 per year. The last legislature appropriated money to pay his salary, up to March 31st., 1899. This reservation was turned over to the board and in June, 1899, an arrangement was made whereby the custodian was to take care of the property without cost to the state. Since then the property has been again leased and from now on will yield a rental annually to the state of $318.20. Under the old contract, there is still owing the former custodian, Thos. D. Bebb, salary for two months, amounting to $100, and I recommend that you make an appropriation for this amount. LAND OFFICE FEES. There has been selected during the past two years about 100,000 acres of indemnity land for school sections located in timber reserves. In selecting this, a fee of $2 must be paid to the land office for each tract of 160 acres. The board had no funds available to be used for this specific tract, so borrowed $1,300 from the State Treasurer. Of that sum, $950.60 has been expended and a balance of $349.40 remains in the hands of the board. I would therefore recommend that an appropriation of $950.60 be made to cover the amount expended. THE ARID LANDS. The reclamation of the arid lands under what is known as the "Carey Act" has, by reason of special effort on the part of the board, made comparatively, some considerable progress. Wyoming is the first and only state to obtain title under this act. One hundred thousand acres have been segregated and are in the process of reclamation and there are applications for the segregation of 80,000 acres more, now under serious consideration. There are nearly 12,000 acres under water of the tract taken up by the Shoshone Irrigation company, 10,000 acres of which have been patented to the state and some twenty settlers have made proof upon as many homesteads. There will soon be 12,000 acres under the Big Horn Development company's ditch, in condition for patent and twentyfive homesteaders can then make final proof. The Big Horn Colonization company has this year completed fifteen miles of the abandoned Cincinnati canal, covering 17,000 acres upon which two hundred families have settled and will raise crops the coming year. The coming year will see more than five hundred families comfortably settled and in a prosperous condition by reason of the successful operation of this arid land law upon the lands already under ditch and new enterprises thereunder are in the process of formation which will reclaim some 200,000 more acres thus adding hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of taxable property to the wealth of the state. Under the new rules adopted by the board, this branch of the land department costs the state nothing, except the salary of the chief clerk. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. During the past two years the business of the Attorney General's office has been ably transacted by Hon J. A. Van Orsdel In his official capacity, during this period, he has prepared and submitted to the different officers of the state, over 150 written opinions, embracing many difficult and complicated questions of law. He has from time to time orally advised officers, state boards and superintendents of state institutions upon various questions of law relating to their respective duties. In addition to the above, the Attorney General has represented the state in many important legal cases. THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S REPORT. The report of the Adjutant General covers a most important period in the history of the National Guard of our statethe reorganization period after the Spanish-American war. At the outbreak of the above mentioned hostilities, much of the equipment of the National Guard of this state, consisting of arms, ammunition, military stores, etc., were turned over to the volunteers. In lieu of this. the state received during the past year ordnance and ordnance stores amounting to $9,953-35 and quartermaster's stores amounting to $7,616.47; a total of $17,569.82. Some of the above stores have been used to equip new companies organized, the balance of the stores remaining in the military store room at the capitol. The arduous task of settling with the general government the military stores account of this state has been performed ablv and patiently by the Adjutant General and Wyoming has been one of the first states in the country to receive its allotment. THE STATE ENGINEER'S REPORT. The State Engineer's report dwells at length on many interesting and important questions. Space, however, will prevent me from giving more than a short summary of the report. The total number of individuals and companies appropriating and using the state's waters, was, on Nov. 30th., 1900, 9,418; 985 appropriations under permits have been perfected and 343 cancelled; 207 applications for permits to construct reservoirs have been approved; 77 of these have been issued in the last two years. During the year ending Nov. 30, 1900, 1,141 applications for permits have been approved and recorded of which 927 were original ditches and 214 were enlargements, an increase of original applications over the two years previous of nearly fifty-two per cent, and in the enlargement of over thirty per cent. Under the 927 original applications, it is proposed to reclaim 507,156 acres at an estimated cost of $1,604.195, or an average cost of $3.16 per acre. 52,803 acres are to be reclaimed under the 214 enlargement permits at a cost of $83,581, or $1.58 per acre. SURVEYING DITCHES. The State Engineer reports that during the year ending |