Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1896-02-05
ABOUT LEASING SCHOOL LANDS.

ABOUT LEASING SCHOOL LANDS.
 "The Gazette has at last awakened to the iniquities of that Murphy land lease bill, but the Arizona Star continues to howl, "Hurrah for Mur- | phy, every time that worthy winks his eye and a lot of small fry follow suit. Please note that this bill calls for the lease of university lands, timber lands alone, which are GOV cred with about S3.OO0OO0 worth of timber and would be leased for no purpose but to denude them ot the timber, after which they would be as valuable as that much sky Courier.
 Here's the Gazette's obi jections to the bill:
 "T Gazette hears many com plaints against Delegate Murphy's bill for leasing school lands, and not a few of them assert that the meas ure Is in the interest of few job bers, who aIe desirouS of getting control of not only the school sec tions of the fertile lands ol the Salt River Valley. but thousands of acres of the best timber lands in the northern coulties. The charge is made that the bill provides that the school lands can be leased for an indefinite period without a SINGLE RESTRICTION being placed upon the lease. IT this Is true, the measure ought to be defeated. The men who are living on the school lands of this territory ought to be protected, and any law that seeks to deprive | hem of their just rights will meet the severest condemnation by the peo- pie Of Arizona
 It will be noticed that the demo cratic paper of PheniI does not place as much stress on the straw man, built by the democratic paper of Prescott, as the author of that scare crow" does. The editor of the Gazette evidently knows that leasing land does not carry with it the privilege of denuding them of their timber by the lessee, hence that feature of 1t is not touched. But he latter paper manifests a wondrous solicitude for the squat ters" on school lands, men who have taken possession of them, and have titled the soil and enjoyed all the benefits from them, without paying s quarter of dollar for their use. It IS fear that they may be de prived of their rights by this law, that arouses the opposition of ths; paper. Wonder if the Gazette does know that the only right possessed by them are such rights only as are granted by the tolerance of the general government, in which the title is yestedi What rights have they that would be destroyed by this lsw7 None whatever, except that it may bs considered that they possess the inherent right to occupy these lands free of cost or rental for all time. These lands have been set apart by tue general government l for the Use Of Arizona when she l becomes a state.
 Statehood, and consequently title ! to the lands, is denied us. Neither 1 the government or the territory is any benefit from the lands. The JoURNAL-MNER favors their ces- sion 10 the territory. This would Oe the proper thing to do. But that seems as difficult as to secure If this cannot be secured, then the bill providing for leasing them and making them contribute revenue to the territory, is the next pest thing that can be done. The disposition of these lands for the pest possible interests of the terri .ory will depend largely on the and good judgment of the officials who have the matter in land, whether it is done now or in he future.
 The objections raised by both the Courier and Gazette against allow ng democratic officials to have any hing to do with it, it must be ad- is not without some force, md yet, if this bill becomes law, { will scarcely become operative lntil a republican administration ,omes in power.
 The Gazette says that there is not SINGLE RESTRICTION placed upon the ease. If its editor had read the Jill, he would have found that the 'ecreiary of the Interior can place upon it, as can also the erritorial legislature. Not a single plausible objection as been raised to the bill, and it Till no doubt be passed by the Sen te, as it has already been passed by be House.
 
 What the Examiner Says Miss Hollis faced a very critical