Phoenix weekly herald., 1897-10-14
< HANDS OFF"
The Board of Supervisors Attack
 the Public School Funds.
Decision by Attorney General Frazier That Moneys Received From Rent of School Lands Cannot Be Cob
 bIed Up By Officials.

The following correspondence and de
 csion of Attorney General FrszjeR ex- 1 plain themselves in & most important
 matter, namely, the suggestion of the | Board of Supervisors to gobble up the 1 public school funds derived from the
 rental of school lands. Attorney Gen-
 sraI Fssz CTS decision is as follows:
 PHoEN1x, Oot. 5, 1897.
 aoN. A. P. SHEwMAN,
 Supt. Public Instruction of Arieona, l Mesa C5ty, Arizona.
 Dear Sir
 Your letter Of s sptembsr 27th, refer l ring letter of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to me, received His letter reads as follows, to-Wit: "Hon. A. P. Snowman, Superintendent Public In struceion, Mesa, Arizona. Dsar Sir The Board Of Supervisors having been called together in special session four days for the express purpose Of attend ing to and leasing the school lands of Mericops County, the question hes arisen whether h view of the fact that they are compelled to meet as the Board of Supervisors for the adminis- sration of county business after the amount appropriated foP supervisory work has bsen exhausted and since the
 leasing of school lands in the county has increased the work Of the BoBFd; is is not just and equitabls that the ex- pense of such extY sessions should be paid out of she fund derived from lees- ing school lands, together with such clerical hire ss has been necessary end indispensable during the past month In the execution of the leases and the proper delivery and receipting of the same? The Board has so considered tbe question and submit the same for your consideration snd opinion bsfore auditing the regular mon thly claims for this month.
 Awaiting an early reply, am very respectfully, Lee Gray, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.
 Replying to you on the above com municstion, I beg leave to say that the Territorial law under which the School
  3 4-5 ot ths Session Laws Of the 18th l of Asizons. This law Is | authorized by United States Statute 1 passed by the 54th Congress- inthe esFly | part of 1996.It provides that certain Ter | ritorisl officials should lease ssd handle 1 said school lands until bhe Legislature of the Territory should convene and pass law for she leasing and care of said lnuds i conformity wish said Con- <r esjonal Basement. It also provided shss such Territorial offioials might pay sll necessary expenses incurred in less- ng said lands out oE the proceeds de- lived from the same.
 The law passed by cur Legislature above referred to, places the leasing and management of said school lands in the lands of the Board of Supervisors, end pecifies minuteiy and at length how uch lands shall be leased and handled, md among it's many provisions, 1t says ust heW the proceeds from said school md seases shall be disposed of.
 Secsion18 reads as Foliows:"The Super isors SHALL at the end of each month 'sY into the Territorial treasury ALL money collected, and must state in their spoFt to the treasurer the emount of unds received from school lands Rud he amount from University lands"
 Section Il provides that the 51 col ected for executing 9 laase shall be urnsd over to the school fund. Sec l ion 13 also provides that any money ollected for certified copies of records y the clerk of the Board Of SupeRvi~ CTS, shall bs turned over to the school und as in section Il. There is but one provision in this en- ire Act which authorizes cent to be aid to any official, and that Is found in cotton IT, which authorizes the pay ; lent by the Territorial Auditor foF I ooks and blanks either to the Super , ,tendent of Public Instruction OF so ne clerk of the Board of Supervisors f pon proper acquisitions. The idea of Y 1e Legislature seems to have besn to s acredly guard any moneys received by [ le Board of Supervisors from the le8s- s lg of school lands. So that I conclude after careful E iudy of shis Act, that it was the inten- g on of the Legislature when passing it r lat the work of the county oficiels in f asing She school lands of the Territory 8 B part of tbelr sworn official duties, Q IF which they are to receive no extra ! additional compensation, and that all g oneye received by them should be s laced to the credit of the school fund. n Most respectfully submitted. s
 O. M. FRAZIER, |
 Attorney General. E Ititude in Sugar Beet Cultivation. Q For many years past, in feos, since s ,a aaPiV insrad uobfor, of kha cuUay baet .