Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-09-03
QUICK WORK OF.
SURVEYOR GENERAL
A Comparison of the Time it Takes
to Make Surveys in Oklahoma
and New Mexico.
GRANTS ENChpE TAYATI0N
GRANTS ESCAPE TAXATION
At the Present Rate it Will Take Several
Centuries to Survey the Small Hold
ings on File Already and Several
Decades to Survey Grants.

Special Correspondence New Mexican.
| Washington, Aug. 81, 1901.-For 1898,
the record books of the interior depart
ment show that $4,000 were appropria-
| ted by congress for the survey of pri-
vate land claims while at the end of
the year, according to the record books,
only $19S.25 had been paid out for that
purpose, while the balance was turned
back into the United States treasury.
For 1899, there were appropriated by
congress $4,000; at the close of the
year, according to the books, only $751;
so had been paid out and the balance
was turned back into the United States
treasury. For 1900, the appropriation
by congress for that purpose again
amounted to $4,000, while the surveyor
general of New Mexico let contracts
only for $1,SS5.36 and all of the appro-
| priation but few hundred dollars was
turned back into the treasury. AS a
result of this, congress cut down the
appropriation for 1901 to $4,000, a loss
of $4,000. The next session of congress
$1,000, or perhaps cut it off altogether.
Until these private land grants are
surveyed they escape the payment Of
all territorial, county, school and city
taxes and the action of the surveyor
general in not having them surveyed is
source of satisfaction to the land
grant owners. but certainly not to the
average tax payer. One is almost
tempted to suspect that the surveyor
general and the grant owners know
how to stand in with each other.
The surveyor generals report for
1899 shows that during that year seven
contracts, Nos. 1926 to 1892 both inclusive
were let; 81 contracts were let under
special instructions, II contracts being
surveys and corrected surveys of pri-
vate land claims. Several of the seven
surveys ordered were surveys of small
holdings. The owners of small holding
claims must have patience. AS there
are nearly 5000 small holdings, by sur
veying two each year, all will be sur
veyed by the year 4.401 A. p. less
there is a change of surveyor generals
and the present incumbent is succeeded
by a surveyor general who surveys.
The total measurements for 1899, ac-
cording to the report of the surveyor
general were 1,462. Piteously appeal
ing over his own signature that $4,000
are needed for surveys and then show
but 1852 measurements. Ye Gods. For
mineral surveys $1,000 was deposited.
There were rejected all the surveys of
H. T. Brown under contract No. 29l.
| CAS- 1899 contracts are 1926 to 1892, and
| 1898 contracts were 314 to 1926, then 291
must have been somewhere for 1896 or
1895. Five or six years from the time
contract is let until acted upon is quick
work)
And then comes that claim for the
second year of plating the mineral
districts, including claim of % plat
ted by former Surveyor General c. F.
Easley. The report says: During the
said fiscal year mining district plats
were completed for the n mining dis
tricts in the territory, which required
/
mates for 1900: Surveys Of public lands
| s25, 900; private land claims $4,000; sur
veyor general $4,000; clerical force in
the office s13,6OO; contingent expenses
s1,700; total s6S,300.
Although comparisons are odious
they are often instructive and very
convincing. In Oklahoma in about
three months, from the time that the
law was passed to open surplus lands
to settlement, 100000 acres of the
Kiowa, Comanche, Apache and Wichita
Indian lands were surveyed and the
plats accepted by the secretary of the
interior; 5000 Indians placed on allot-
ments; 1900 homesteaders filed or
their lands, Notwithstanding two law
suits started to stop proceedings; the
supreme court swept these suits aside;
$3.50, 900 received by the United States
b-treasury for town lots in four
towns. two national banks started in
tents on barren prairie named Law
ton few days before, and within "a
hours had $35O,0OO deposited.
Now recurring to the report of the
surveyor general for 1899, it is stated
| that all the surveys of H. T. Brown un-
der contract No. 291, let probably in
| 1896, possibly in 1885, were rejected. OF
course, acting on survey in four OF
| five years, by the surveyor general OF
New Mexico, is quick work when COM
pared with the unseemly hurry with
which the surveying was done in Okla
homa 1t helps to explain too why the
| $50, 900 seriously and solemnly estima-
ted for over signature was with the
| exception of a few dollars all turned
| back into the United States treasury.
What laughable little operatta or
farce good playwright could make
out of these facts. ~
In giving the report of the surveyor
general for New Mexico for June 80.
1899. the following paragraph was oy-
erlooked: Rejected the surveys of Mark
Howell and w. G. Marmon; the Dona
Ana Bend colony grant by c. c. Cole
man: Pueblo of Santa Clara by c. F,
Easley. also of P. Gijoso; also Arroyo
Hondo by Sherrard Coleman, and OF
| Jasper F. Ortiz; and G. c. Reed, and
corrected survey Of George Lynch. THIS
also helps to explain why $4,000 fo1
r.rce different years were turned back
into the treasury excepting few hun
dred dollars. Are surveyors who hav5
toen considered among the best for x
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