The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-18
The Governors Statement

- Governor Johnston was in the city yes
terday, and gave out the following state
ment in regard to the university land sale:
1.-The plain facts are that proposal to buy
these lands was made to me as president
of the board laid before the board at a
meeting called for that purpose, and the
sale was ordered to be made, and was made
and the money paid and placed in the state
treasury 1 heartily approved the sale. l
stated to the board in open-and not in Sc
cret-session that had an interest in some
lands in the same township, and had con-
tracted to sell them at $40 per acre. The
university got $3.50 for theirs Colonel
Caldwell, a member of the board, had re-
Gently sold quite body of lands in the
same township further east, and voted for
the sale, and considered, as I did. the price
fair
1.-The charge is made that a part of these
lands were under lease and bringing $1,000 a
wear. AS usual, that is false. The univer-
eity has owned these lands about fifteen
years, and never derived cent of revenue
from them.
..It is claimed that these lands should
have been leased. The trustees and their
diligent and capable land commissioners
have been endeavoring to lease the lands
of the university for many years-since
about 1884 But one lease has been made,
of about 500 acres, some four years ago, out
of $4,000 acres. The university still has
nearly 10000 acres. This would make sixty
tracts of 500 acres each, and II leased at b
cents per ton royalty and 1900 tons per day
was required to be mined, would produce
$50 200 a year for about 400 years.
1.-The lands sold were widely scattered
and not in condition to be desirable to lease,
and there was no pending proposition to
lease them at any price. A gentleman VINO
had made previous negotiations in regard to
1T. positively declined to make any lease If
hands that will yield 1900 tons per acre are
worth $500 per acre, then the university has
cause for congratulation. l suppose 1t
owns 10000 acres that will produce this,
and therefore, would be worth $4,OO,oOO.
1.-The board decided to retain for lease
hhree bodies of land, each containing $500
acres and in reasonably compact bodies.
If we can lease them in the next twenty
years we will make greater progress than
has been made in the past fifteen. My
opinion is that we should utilize these lands
row, and those which are not suita BILE for
lease sold out at fair prices, and invest the
funds in safe securities, and, IL possible,
with safety to the University relieve the
people of the $4,000 extra appropriation
p they are paying to maintain the University
over and above the interest on the Uni
versity fund. When the lands are sold they
Immediately become subject to taxation,
and aid in providing for the special appro-
priation of $4,000. So long as they are
held by the University, they are free from
taxation, and practically withdrawn FROM
development
"The university has owned these 80 900
acres of land about fifteen years. At $1250
per acre they would have brought $412, 600
All revenue derived from these lands has
been from one small tract specially valua-
BILE, and has probably aggregated about
$4,000, or an average of 900 year. The
interest on $4,000 at per cent. would in
the same period nave produced 10000. and