Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1892-01-27
GOVERNMENT LANDS IN ARIZONA.

vey made of the unsurveyed govern ment lands in Arizona has been spo- ken of time and again by the JouR- SAL-MINER. While we do not refer to the matter in fault-fnding way politically, we cannot but feel that the reason that Arizona has been sighted and neglected in the ap- propriations for this purpose has been due to negligence and careless ness of her representative. Taking all the facts and circumstances into onei cannot help ar irving at this conclusion. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885, when Delegate Oury represented Arizona in Congress, the appropria- ton for the survey of public lands was $S50,0OO, of which the territories received the following: Dakota, Si0,OOO; Washington, 5000; Ari- zona, Montana, and Wyoming. each $20,0O0; New Mexico $l5.000, and Idaho and Utah, each Si0,000. Un- der that appropriation thirteen townships were surveyed in northern Arizona, but the surveyor general of the territory. apparently being in sympathy with the policy of the general land office at that time, which was to throw every obstacle possible in the way of settlers ac- quiring title to government land, it was not until October Is, 1890, that the plats of these townships were filed in the land office and the land became subject to entry.
 In the report of Commissioner
 Stockslager for tho year 1888, that
 official dwells at great length on the
 subject of "lands restored to the
 public domain" and on the work
 being done by his army of special
 agents, sent out with instructions
 by him, apparently not for the pro
 lection of the government against
 fraud, but for the purpose of har-
 rassing settlers and of preventing
 them if possible of acquiring title
 to public land, every applicant be
 ing a suspect until he could prove
 himself innocent. But in no place
 in his report can We find either the
 total amount appropriated for the
 survey of public lands or how it was
 apportioned to the territories. In
 the report of the surveyor general
 for that year we do however find
 this statement: '"There has been no
 apportionment for the survey of
 pnblic lands in this territory since
 1886; consequently no work has
 been done in this department so far
 as letting contracts and the execu-
 ton of work in the field" From
 this it will he seen that for a period
 of two years Arizona received no
 appropriation whatever. For the
 fiscal year ending June, 1890, the
 appropriation for these surveys
 was $200,000, of which the following
 amounts were apportioned to the
 territories: Dakota, S25,OO0; Wash
 ington, S20,0O0; Montana, S15,OOO:
 Idaho, New Mexico and Wyoming,
 each, $l0000, and Arizona 5000.
 For the fiscal year ending June 90,
 1891, the total appropriation was
 increased to Si25,000, apportioned
 as follows among the geographical subdivisions mentioned above:
 Washington, $S5, 900; Montana, S75,- 000; the two Dakotas, S40OOO each -S0,Oo0; Idaho, S20,0OO; New Mex
 ico, $l0O00; Utah, $S,000, and Ari-
 zona the same paltry sum of 5000.
 While it is true that several of the former territories had in the mean time been admitted as States, and the increase of their apportionment
 might naturally be expected, it will also be seen that of those remaining as territories, Arizona's portion was thesmallest. The above figures are obtained from the official reports of
 the commissioners of the general land office. and the only conclusion
 to be drawn from them is, that if Arizona could receive the recogni
 tion that she did in 1885, there is no reason why greater amount could not have been secured in subsequent years if the proper effort had been made.
 In Mir. Stockslaeer's report for 1888, he gives the area of Arizona at 113,9l6 square miles, or 72,9O6, ,2IO acres, of which only 13,S04,53S acres had been surveyed up to June 30. 1887, leaving 59, 9,lO1, ,7O2 acres unsur- veyed. As there has been but very | little land surveyed in the territory | since June 30. 1SS7,-not to exceed | 100000 acres, there is still a vast | empire of 59.O0O, 600 acres of land un- surveyed. While it is true that large portion of this is rugged and mountainous, there is also very portion of it that is rich agricultural land. Thousands of acres are embraced also in the land grant to the Atlantic and Pa cific railroad, which would yield a revenue to the territory in the way of taxation immediately on survey The railroad company has for years been endeavoring to secure sur Vey of the lands embraced in their grant, but their efforts, aided by hose of individuals, have been un- .vailing.
 Arizona's delegate to congress 'ould perform no greater service to he territory than by acting on he suggestion which the above acts afford, and by putting forth ,is efforts to secure a good anrro