Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1901-02-09
OUR SCHOOL LANDS.
A. A. Keen, Land Commissioner,
Makes Report to Gov, 0tero,
A MOST INTERESTING REPORT.


people understand the duties and func-
lions of the United staiea and terrific
rial land commissions a. well as OF the
commissioner u public lands. an Nthce
very ccrdltably and ably Allied the past
Twenty-Five months by A. A. Keen.
In his annual report 60 Governor
Ouro Mr. Keen glvcs a very clear in.I
sight into these matters. and at the
same tlme renders n comp chcnn'vc ac-
counting % his trust tie rel ties the
history ~ the grants and ~ the organ
lyation % the board 90 public lands. the
difacuiiiea that have 20 be- overcome In
tho beginning the delays 90 which lease
applications were subjected az WHsh-
inrton. and explains why the personal
appraisal ~ lands 60 he leased. az re-
quirod By me Washington authorities.
is lmptactlcahlc. for the cost ~ such
appraisal would be- greater than the
rental received. The annual rental ~
section vs. land without water has been
axed at si2s0. and with water az fR
or course. where there are secvral BID
ders Tor sections the highest bidder re-
ceIvea the land. and a larger sum than
the prescribed minimum - realized.
The best lands IN the territory have
already been selected or are included In
/ forest reserves. private land grants or
| reservatiors Therefore. while the
grant Of lands made % the territory 10
vast IN extent. ~ value Is not very
great. a. most Of e can be utilised only
/ for grazing purposes Nevertheless
| si3s4G % have been received In lesa
than two years for leases o. public
/ school lands. sum which compares
/ fnvarahiy with the amount received by
ncirhhoring states FOR their school
lands Union county took the largest
number VI leases. tt9 covering ~ go
acres. paying therefor 50 13i 60, Chavos
| county Games second with 90 leases
Colfax. 52 Eidy. %. Mora. IS. san Nj.
| guel. -. Guadalupe. "a. Grant. %, So
zorro. "a. Sierra. IS: lincoln. 10. Bcr-
naHlio 2; santa ~, ?. San Juan. 2.
Rlo Arriba. I Taos o. The funds re-
ccivcd are distributed however. among
the counties according to school popula-
tion. and not according 20 the amour,
paid by each county Tor leases. There
remain i0i leases unapproved. ~ appu
cations awarded. but not yet com.
pleted. IS applications not approved "
]
linquished or withdrawn.
The United States Hand commission
was created 20 make selections az the
lands granted the territory by congress
The total acreage OF land thus granted
consists OF 4570.2Sg.G0 acres. OF which
he public schools received sections II
and 80 In every township. making to-
tai ~ at27 200 acres, a prlncely domain
indeed The other grants are: FOi
public buildings $1,000 acres. for the
University % New Mexico. M 500 acres
together with al saline lands within
the territory. the agricultural college
} 10000 acres. water reservoirs for irri.
! CATION purposes. 100000 acres; improve
meni 81 he RIO Grande In New Mex
ico 100000 acres insane asylum. 5000
acres. school ~ mines t0,OoO acres. re-.
form srhool 20 zoo aerssi norma
. schools, 100000 acres. institute for "a,
. blind. 10000 acres miners hospital. Co.,
900 acres military Institute. 50.0r
acres. pcniienti1ry 5000 acres. oh
palace o. Santa re. 2.G0 acres.
II will thus be- seen that the Uni
verslty OF New Mexico Is the best en-
bowed institution. and should be- thu
. 1
20 be- selected only COS. i0fS5 acres hay,
been picked out. and 2ii,a07G7 acres o.
these selections hay" been approved 0
only about oneelshth % the tota
grant. The selections made are as fol
lows: Agricultural college. 5l5Si.7
acres; military institute. "a. ssfSA acres
deaf and dumb school 222i7.Oi acres
University % New Mexico, 50 6G4 p
, acres: insane asylum sgOd67i acres
institution for the blind. ai685 acres
school 81 mines. 50 zoe 81 acres; reform
school 33 Cos A. acres. water rescrvo,c
for irrigation purposes. 4s695.O6 acres
normal school. 67,ii2 5e acres; miners
. hospital. 80 $50 40 acres peniteshlary
80 O36s5 acres.
Unfortunately the funds available 10
paying the necessary fees Tor the entr
~ these lands were not available unit
July. 1900. and even then would no
have been sufficient FOR the purpose
The land commission was. therefore
very glad 20 accept the ofier ~ IA
, Alamogordo Lumber company ana A
, n. Burkdoll % pay IN advance Tor tim
, her lands TO be selected by the commits
, sion. From that source. t7.99o.5O wer
received and enabled the territory q
1 make and enter the selections FOR IN
territorial institutions.
, In reference 20 the old palace IN San
% Pc. Land Commissioner Keen rec
] nmmcnds that the United States goy
T, eminent again assume control over IN
building giving the Smithsonian inst
tuie be- supervision. The revenue r.
ceivcd from the old palace amounted 4
. h.oiS6o. while ~he expenditure wa
Sc.
Five per cent ~ the proceeds Of In
= sale ~ public lands within the terrltor-
hy the United Stater Is % be- used az
permanent fund the interest of whic
b only shall 5e expended Tor the supper
~ the common schools within the ter
4 ritory, This fund now amounts 4
tss4 3s
b The eXcpnscs Of the land commission
efs' office FOR the twenty-one month
ending December %. 1900. amounted L
. 9StA.lI The total disbursements wcr
Siol5G3s. including "a balance Of SiI.
2'si1 In bank. fiti0i 20 paid the terri
torial treasurer FOR the benefit OF th
schools. 5.Gii paid Tor United State
land ONCE fees and t2,931 5s refundel
on account Of withdrawal and cancel
lation Of appllcauopY and leases.
Commissioner Keen recommends
few verbal changes IN the Legislative
act establishing the board ~ publ
lands, and says IN cOnclufion ''rhe rs
suits thus FAR have been very crafty
Ing when one considers that over ti2 90
have been aEp0rti0ned lover 81 600 NOR
available as soon las tenroa now ON m
In The Office Of the secretary OF the In
terror are approved by the territorial
superintendent ~ public instruction az
ter deducting the expenses ri this %
nee, without any burden ~ taxation
on the people. 10 the next few year
the revenues ~ this office should ma
tcrlaily reduce the appropriation nee
essary 10 the proper maintenance %
our educational and territorial lnstitu
tlons"