The Lamar register., 1900-10-17
REVIEW OF THE THOMAS ADMINISTRATION

S3,OOO dCEeS Ol iuuu III SOhtJob COuA-
ty, against the protest of many Of the
Inhabitants, to "Billy" Adams, brother
Of Ex-Governor Alva Adams. At one
sale in Rio Grande county, 6,4OO acres
were sold; and n large tract in Otero
county was sold to the Oxnards. The
attorney general voted against this, on
the ground that he did not wish to an
courage the sugar trust, but the rest
Of the board overruled him. The most
remarkable case, however, and one
which Is not decided yet, is the effort OF
the state land board to lease $4,000
acres in the North park to the Swifts.
members of the meat trust This lease
was negotiated, and wns going 2n
smoothly enough, when an enterpris-
ing Larimer county editor got hold OF
the facts and published them, and so
aroused public opinion in the county.
that the protests of the people had to
be needed to some extent. That Is, IT
was thought better to heed them until
after election. The matter has been
hung up and If the fusion ticket IL re-
elected, the people of Larimer county
may expect to see the lease go through.
The land board also has charge of
the timber on the state lands, and Is
supposed to protect 1t. 1t pays out $S,-
400 per year in regular salaries, and
just now has three extra clerks, at n
compensation of 81 200 year each, be-
sides making total of $4,000 year.
With such Il force, the board might
perhaps be expected to do something:
but so far as timber depredations are
concerned, 1t is perfectly helpless. AS
1t cannot-or does not-protect the
state timber lands from depreciation,
it has sold large quantities OF the tim
Der for rldiculously small sums. Here
are some of the sales;
Timber Sales.
II. NJ. Wood. Teller county, 100000
feet at So TO $3.50 per thousand.
a. G. Burton. Teller county, 100000
feet at S1.5o per thousand.
G. w. Harper. Park county. 10000
feet at 81 per thousand.
Sales of timber on school lands at
S1.5O to $3.50 per thousand have also
been made in great numbers. Here
are few of them:
January 10, 1899. to c. w. Bowman,
Woodland Park, all timber on sections
1911 and $1,000
October %, 1899, to Il. w. Babcock,
El Paso county, all timber on 1918
81 w.
August 1, 1890, to ]. A. Barnett, Tel
Ter county. all timber on 1G-13-70.
March 12, 1900, TO N. IIockctt, Tel
Ter county, all timber on 16-1i-7O.
April 16, 1900 to Casey & Towers,
200 acres of timber in Bent county for
$40.
Internal Improvement.
Governor Thomas signed approprin-
ton bills nppropriating the sum OF
S21G 800 out of the Internal improve
ment fund of this state. At that time,
May o. 1899. the fund contained S2l9,-
S14. The fund was. therefore, reduced
to $1,000. The money is being spent
now in building reads and bridges. This
was the greatest onslaught on this
fund in the history of the state.
Salaries for PoIitica! Workers.
The amounts appropriated for sal
aIjes by the last general appropriation
bill for the State Land Board are as
follows:
Register. per year. ............S2,O 900
Deputy register. ............... loo
Appraiser ............ ....... l,ooU
CHIEF clerk. LOO
Lease clerk. ................... LOO
Stenographer. ............... l,UO
No further salaries are provided for;
but in the face of this there have been
for the past four or five months, three
extra clerks on duty, as follows:
j. r. Joyce, $125 per month.
julius Clark, 500 per month.
II. Z. Washburn, 800 per month.
man named Cressey Is now en-
ployed by the board at $125 per month
and expenses. All these extras are
paid out of what is known as the land
commissioners cash fund. None of
these are provided by law. They have
accomplished nothing. Joyce and
Clark are well-known political work.
ers.
The land board has had some of the
expense accounts which
have been common In all departments.
For convenience OF reference several
expense accounts, some of which were
paid out of the general fund, are
grouped together below:
Illegal Expense Accounts.
Under a decision of the Court of Ap-
peals, state officers who go out of the
state on any business whatsoever are
prohibited from drawing their expense
money out of the state treasury. There
are no exceptions to the rule laid down
in the opinion. which is entitled Car
lille VS.. Hurd, 9 Colo. Court of Appeals,
page II.
fell put in the following expense ac-
count for trip to California to attend
an educational meeting. The money
was paid out of the general fund on the
same date:
To two railroad tickets, Denver
to Los Angeles and return,
(Mrs. Grenfell and her deputy,
Mrs. Peterson). ...........S 94.OO
To carriage to depot. .... 200
To Pullman section, Los Angeles 1900
TO meals en- route .. 7.5O
To hotel bill Los Angeles. SO. $500
To Pullman fare, Los Angeles
to Denver. . 21OO
TO meals, Los Angeles to Denver 100
To cab. " LOO
Total $4,000
On December 5, 1899, r. III. Johnson.
state game commissioner went to Mis-
souri, on alleged safe business. The
following voucher vas paid on appro-