The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-06
RICHARDSON ON
THE LAND SALE
Gives His Reasons For Opposing
the Deal.
FAVORED THE LEASE SYSTEM
The Proposition Came From Gov
ernor Johnston.
A BARE QUORUM WAS PRESENT
Lands Had Been Withdrawn From Mar
ket by Previous Action of the
Board to Further the Uni
versity's Interest.
A BARE QUORUM WAS PRESENT

Huntsville, December 5.-(Special Judge
William Richardson, who was the only
trustee of the University of Alabama who
voted against the sale of 4,400 acres of uni
yersity lands to the Sloss-S Sheffield syndi-
cate, has been busily occupied with court
duties for two weeks past and has not had
time until today to prepare statement of
his version of the transaction. He did not
care to answer some of the questions that
were asked him, but prepared the follow
ing general statement which he gave your
correspondent this morning:
II was present at the special meeting of
the board of trustees of the university held
at Tuscaloosa on the 22d of September last,
when the resolution passed authorizing the
sale of 4,4S0 acres of university lands to the
Sloss-Sheffield company. 1 received by mail
a notice from Mr. Cory stating substanr
TALLY that the governor requested him to
notify me that meeting of the board of
trustees for the university would be held
on September % at Birmingham. On the
next day received notice from Mr.. Corey
stating that the board would not meet at
Birmingham, but would meet at the uni
versfty at p. m. ON September %. Neither
of these notices made any reference to the
object of the meeting. 1 received the no.
tice not more than ten days before the time
appointed for the meeting
The Meeting
"Messrs. Stansell, Caldwell, Sanford
Davis and myself of the appointed POM
bers were present and Govehor Johnston
who presided over the meeting. DR.. Pow
ers, president of the university, Mr.. w. C.
Fits, the land commissioner, and the secre-
tary, were also present.
1.-THE first business transacted was the re-
port that made from the executive COM
mittee, of the selection of Prof. Forney to
fill the newly created chair of pedagogy.
This being disposed of, Governor Johnston
stated that he had been approached by cer-
tain parties who proposed to purchase some
of the coal lands belonging to the university
and he desired to confer with the board on
the subject. He explained that the most
valuable tracts of the lands proposed to be
sold did not lie in contiguous and compact
bodies, but were scattered and not acces-
sble and the market value for these rea-
sons was greatly depreciated The price Of
fered was $3.50 per acre, and the proceeds
of the sale would amount to about $4,000.
He said these lands had been owned by the
university for number of years and had
never brought in any revenue, and they
We're not likely to do so at any time in the
early future. He thought that the oppor-
tunity presented to sell these lands was the
best the university had ever had or would
likely have any time soon.
Had Grant ed an Option
my best recollection is, that the COVER
nor, dn explaining the matter to the board,
said that he had already granted an option
on a certain portion of the lands proposed
to be sold. That ne owned In the same To-
cality coal lands equally as good as those
belonging to the university, that he had
disposed of, or would be willing to dispose
of at $40 per acre. That he thought the
price offered of $3.50 per acre was fair and
lust, and recommended the sale. l remem-
be that the governor referred to Colonel
John H. Caldwell, who was present, who
had owned and sold similar coal lands, as
being we'll qualified to give an opinion as
to the price offered. Colonel Caldwell re-
piled stating In substance that he had sold
similar coal lands for less than $3.50 per
acre and coincided with the governor that
1t was to the interest Of the university 10
sell the lands for the price offered"
'Mr. w. C. Fits, the land commissioner,
was called on by the governor to show the
location of the lands on the map. He point
ed out the lands-said that the valuable
tracts embraced in the proposed sale were
not contiguous or In such bodies as mace
them desirable for lease, but they were
50 tered. That unsuccessful efforts had
49,, ,,ooaf5e to lease the most valuable
tracts in the proposed sale.
Other Tracts
aMr Fits also pointed out three or four
ether compact bodies of coal lands belong
inc TO the university, and not embraced IN
the proposed sale, which he thought the
most valuable coal lands the university
owned and said that he believed that we
,nio,f he able hereafter to lease these
"Other trustees made remarks, INQUIRIES
and suggestions. 1t Is quite impossiple 1or
me- to recall all that was said pro ana con
on the lengthy discussion that TOOK place
tbat evening. I only undertake supstan-
tally to repeat the salient matters that I'M
nressed me at the time
at onnosed the sale. have been ire
o,antlv asked since this discussion came
nm 10 state the objections that 1 urged
that evening to the sale. As best F.! can re-
cali them. I objected because the board OIL
trustees had withdrawn the coal iands OF
the university from sale and we had aoopt-
cd and followed without dissent tne lease
system. as being best calculated TO con-
serve the permanent interests and pros
narity of the. university. 1 did net think
this policy heretofore acquesced in and
favored by the unanimous vote OF the
trustees should be changed when bare
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