Mesa free press. [volume] (Mesa, Ariz.) 1892-1901, 1897-10-15
SCHOOL LAND LEASES.
The following letter explains itself
OFFICE OF RNEY-GENRRAE,
PHOENIX, ARIzoEA, Oct. 8, 1897.
Hon. A, P. SHEwMAH,

Hon. A, P. SHEwMAH.
Supt Of Public destruction, Arisono.
DEAR SIR.--Your letter of Sept.
9th, referring letter of the clerk OF
the board of supervisors to me, re-
ceived. His letter reads as follows. to-
wit: "Hon. A. P. Shewman, Snrt
| Public Instruction, Mesa, Arizona
Dear Sir. The board of supervisors
having been called together in special
| session,four days for the-express pnr-
pose of attending to and leasing the
school lands of Maricopa county, the
question has arisen whether in view of
the fact that they are compelled to
meet as the board of supervisors for
the administration of county business
after the amount appropriated for SUI
pervisory work has been exhausted,
and since the leasing of school lands
in the county has increased the work
of the board; is it not just and equit-
able that the expense of such extra
sessions should be paid out of the fund
derived from leasing school lands, to-
eether with such clerical hire as has
been necessary and indispensable dui :
ing the past month in the execution
of the leases and the proper delivery
and receipting of the sames The
board has SO considered the question
aud I ST. bmit the same for your con-
sideration and opinion before auditing
the regular monthly claims for this
month.
Awaiting an early reply, I am very
respectfully Lee Gray, CLERK of the
Board of Supervisors.
Replying to you on the above COM
munioation, beg leave to say that
the Territorial law under which the
school lands are leased is found on
pages l22-3-4 SIS of the Session
Laws of the 18th Legislature OF Ari
zona. rilis law is authorized by a
| United States Statute passed by the
oath Congress in tbs early part OF
1896. 1t provides that certain Terri
torial officials should lease and handle
said school lands unit. the Legislature
of the Territory should convene and
pass law for the leasing and care Of
said lands in conformity with said
Congressional Enactment. It also
provides that such Territorial officials
might pay all necessary expenses in
CURED in leasing said lands out of the
proceeds derived from the same.
The law passed by our Legislature
above referred to, places the leasing
and management of said school lands
in the hand of the hoard OF supervis
ors, and specifics minutely and al
length how such lands shall be leased
and handled, and among It's many
provisions, it says JUS how the pro-
ceeds from said school lands leases
shall be disposed of.
Section l8 reads as follows; "Tht
supervisors SHALL at the end of eacl
mouth pay into the erritorial treas
ury ALL money collected, and mus
state in their report to the TREASURED
the amount of funds received from
school lands and the amount from
University lands" j.
| Section ii provides that 81 col.
lected for executing a lease shall b.
turned over to the school fund. sec.
tion l3 also provides that any none.
collected for certia d copies Of record
bv the clerk of the board of supervis
sors. shall he turned over to tn
school fund as in section II.
There is but one provision in thi
entire act which authorizes cent t
, be paid to any official and that
found in section II, which authorize
r the payment by the Territorial Audi
, tor for books and blanks either to tn
) superintendent of public instructio
, or to the clerk of the board of super
visors upon proper requisitious TIL
idea of the Legislature seems to hav
> been to sacredly guard any money
! received by the board of supervisor
} from the leasing Of school lands.
So that I conclude sitter a carefv
study of this act, that it was th
intention of the Legislature whe
6 oore;r0 - thot tho worl> of tb1 oo,o+