New-York tribune., 1899-07-22
ALABAMA PUBLIC LAND SCANDAL.
COMMISSIONER HERMANN RECOMMENDS
THAT THE LANDS BE SOLD BY AUCTION.


THAT THE LANDS BE SOLD BY AUCTION.
Washington. July q (speciaD-Binger Hermann
the Commissioner of the General Land once has
sent letter to the Secretary Of the Interior rec
ommending the sale OF all the public lands In the
State OF Alabama by public auction The unoccu-
pied and unreserved lands in the State amount 10
oz2,3I3 acres. which are surveyed and have oeen
ready for occupation since 1889. but whlch nave
never been sold account of the consistent ana
persistent opposition Of the entire Alabama deiegs-
ton in Congress.
The action of Commissioner Hermann is oased on
the recent sensational developments brought 10
light In connection with the donation OF nfty thou-
sand acres Of public lands in the State 10 the IN
dustrial School for Girls Of Alabama, at Monte
vallo and the Tuskegee Normal Industrial Insu
tute. Last winter the Alabama delegation secured
the passage of a bill through Congress authorizing
the donation of twenty-five thousand acres OF the
public domain 10 each OF the above named euucd-
tonsl institutions. The law so worded that
the heads of the two Institutions could select the
land they Mt. taking it In ten acre patches
II they desired. and the Governors certlcdte Oh
the same TO the Secretary of the Interior ne Is
compelled issue forthwith TO the State OF Ala
bama patents for the land therein contdiheu
Shortly after the law became operative ruihors
reached the Interior Department that the neads OF
the two institutions in question had entered INTO
contract with corporations in the state who were
nominal consideration. In accordance Win the
contracts the lands selected were 10 be those con-
tanning large mineral deposits. upon which the COT
porations expected TO begin work Immediately An
investigation Of the matter has confirmed the re-
ports. and as a result Commissioner Hermann mas
recommended 10 Secretary Hitchcock the immedl-
ate sale OF all the public lands in the State
Under the general law OF 1859 the Secretary Of
the Interior. with the approval OF the President
has authority any time to sell all the pubic
lands in the State. On several occasions Secre-
taries OF the Interior have recommended 10 fresi-
dents the sale of these lands. but the Alabama
delegation has in each been able 20 prevent
the approval OF the recommendation or the interior
Department, asserting that certain parties IN AsaI
bama and adjoining States had made cdrelul
study of the lands IN question and were thoroughly
familiar with those containing valuable mihstdI
deposits and those which were worthless. Inc
delegation insisted that these parties, on account
OF their informa ton were in position 70 puIcnase
nominal figure lands containing valuable MIN
eral deposits far below their actual value ana lar
below what other parties possessed OF the same IN
formation would bid on these statements Presi-
dent Cley eland, In his two administration ana
President Harrison refused TO order the lahds IN
after carefully considering the question prdc cally
decided TO recommend TO secretary Bliss ana Pres-
dent Mckinley the sale OF the public lands AS
soon as this became known the congressional
delegation from the State Immediately protested In
strong terms. their letters being on hie no" IN the
Interior Department -
taken by the Commissioner OF the General Land
ONCE will be approved by Secretary Hitchcock ana
the President, particularly shce the recent deve-
opments relating TO the donation or lands 10 euucd-
tonal institutions in the state 49,
The lands in question located IN seventy IN ee
counties in the State. and consist principally OF the
mountainous sections. In which " Is nelleEeu W. d
are large mineral deposits, particularly coal anu
asphalt.