The age-herald., 1899-07-23
SALE OF ALABAMA
 PUBLIC LANDS
Recommendation of Commissioner Herman of the Land Offices Excited
 Much Interest.

The Age -Herald's spectl dispatch from Montgomery, printed yesterday, to the ef- feet that Commissioner of the General Land Office Herman had recommended that the government lands in Alabama be sod at auction attracts great deal of attention in this state, for three reasons of import ance.
 The United States owns land in Alabama exceeding in area 522,0OO acres. Of this land much contains coal and iron and is tLlere- fere valuable. And yet larger acreage is covered by pine and cypress timber. Fifty thousand acres not yet selected has been granted by congress to the Girls Industrial School at Montevallo and to Booker Wash ingtons famous school at Tuskegee for negroes.
 It has hoen stated that the Montevallo school lands and the Tuskege school lands have been sold, in effect, to Henry F. De- Bardeleben and associates. This is held to be true Of the Montevallo lands, but is denied to the lands donated to the Aus kegee school.
 Some of the trustees of the Tuskegoe school reside in the east, and are therefore not familiar with the geographical and geological conditions of Alabama. Some person or persons informed the eastern trustees of Booker Washngton's school that the lands that would be selected un- der the act of congress were worth twelve to fifteen dollars an acre, and so the trustees are holding out for something like sucn prices, the which are hardly prob- able Of realization.
 Congressman John II. Bankhead was seen by reporter yesterday and asked for an expression of his opinion as to the effect of Commissioner Hermans recommenda- ton Of an auction sale of public lands in this state upon the grants of congress to the MonteVailo school.
 The congressman answered that the recommendation could have no effect at all. It was made under authority of an act that had been many years in force but the sec retary of the interior had no power to sell lands in Alabama until after the lands donated by congress to certain schools had been selected and set apart. After these lands shall have been selected the governor of Alabama will certify them to the secre- tary of the interior, whose warrant will then issue designating the lands so selected and making these land the property of the schools named in the act. This procedure is required by law.
 The records of the general land office at Washington show the government as the owner of 522, ,373 acres of land in Alabama. In point of fact. the government owns less than that by fully 50000 acres, the domain donated to tine two schools referred to. Many thousands of other acres are errone- ously claimed by the government as set forth in The Age-Herald two weeks ago. Lands on the government maps as belong ing to the government were patented to private individuals, in many instances. fifty or sixty years ago.
 The proposition to sell at auction the pub lie lands in Alabama has been repeatedly made in the past. and has been always successfully resisted by the Alabama senn- tors and the members of the house. Simi- lar opposition to Mir. Herman's plan will be equally successful now.