Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-01-14
POINTED PETITION,
Some Suggestions to the Coming
Territorial Legislature.
OFFERED BY EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

VI TIE InlIAla
Fourth Legislative Assembly OF New
Mexico.
The educational association OF N.w
Mexico respectfully asks your ,arefui
consideration OF the following petition:
Since II IL probable that New MeSf,o
viii soon assume lite rlghtful and prop
er place az n OF the states IN our
grand union. and since, on su,h an
event. Il Is customary for the general
government to give to he Incoming
state a grant Of LAM TO aid its common
schools colleges and other public in
stitutions. we. therefore ask that you
VIII unite In %petltioning to do
nate to u beloved commonwealth a
grant Of land commensurate win or
necessities.
AT the present time the general gov
rnnen Is paying much attention 10
giving our distant. but recently acquir-
ed Island possessions. the advantages OF
publlc schools. New Mexico was ac-
quired over half Il century ago by the
the United States and In something the
same way as Puerto Rico and the
Philippines. But our territory received
scarcely any attention from the general
government In educational matters, un-
Ill about three years ago she secured a
partial grant OF school lands which are
just beginning to bring in an income.
Our need OF aid in these matters has
been great at all times.
II Is well known to you that our best
land Is already included In the numer-
GUS land and railroad grants. Indian
and military reservations. and govern
ment entries: so that very little good
or even agricultural or grazing land re-
mains, out Of which to select the land
which congress may give TO W.
BY the grant OF 1898, the territory wes
restricted from securing mineral land
OF any kind. or from selling timber on
leased land. AZ the future OF New
Mexico depends largely on the develop
ment OF our mineral resources. 1t Is but
natural and right TO expect that these
mineral sourc should assist In aid
ing n supporting our school system.
and other public institutions.
In making a donation OF and for our
common schools, congress will probab-
ly give sections OF "A DEFINITE number
In each township throughout the ter
ritory. II Is apparent to each OF you
that the majority Of these sectIons
will be waEth htfTe. II anything,
Nor agricultural or grazing purposes,
although a very few may contain min
erals. Therefore to obtain a reason
able and fair donation OF land, in sc-
tual value. a much larger grant than
usual. at such times. should be given.
also whatever minerals these lands
may contain should 90 with 1t. II Ii
doubtless well known to you that the
funds now being raised for the main
tensnce Of schools are insufficient.
Many districts having 100 school chill
dren, are unable, for lack OF funds, TO
have more than three or foul months
OF school per year. Numerous small
settlements, containing from ten TO
thirty school children, a no school
facilities at all.
Therefore we ask that you petition
congress that whenever statehood Ia
acquired by New Mexico in addition
to what has already been given to her
there shall be granted for the common
schools. four sections In each township
or their equivalents, throughout the
state. and also five per cent Of the pro-
ceeds OF the sales OF public lands made
subsequent to this donation; for the
university, the agricultural college and
the normal schools. 200. 900 acres each:
for the School OF Mines. Military insti-
tue. Reform school. Deaf and Dumb
...f.v. - I.aVgNVVt,. - NAa nlNnI
100. 900 acres each. The school lands
given TO the state OF Missouri were
sold at an average OF about S1.75 per
acre. Thousands OF acres OF these very
lands would to-day, with ordinary i'm
provements, bring an annual rental OF
from one to two times their original
cost.
The lowest price at which Nebraska
sold her school land was 81 per acre.
After selling the larger part OF her
good land at this price or above II, Ne
braska discovered that II was a poor
policy to sell any of her land even
the poorest; so she withdrew II all
from the market, keeping the land It.
self as an investment and renting II.
EAhNstNlRhal ldudN nave btfh klNfI W
congress so that the states might have
a permanent income for supporting q
liberal system OF public instruction
When the land has been'sold, the pro-
ceds have been invested In state, coun-
~. or city bonds. or In similar securi-
ties. As the county grows older, the
rate Of interest on such securities IL
liable 10 decrease and good paying Sc
curities become hard to md. while
the rental value OF land Is sure to in.
crease. Among ~fnanclers OF all coun
tries, real essate has always been con,
sidered as the best and safest invest,
ment to be found. Why then should
our educational lands he sold at all
Oklahoma has never sold any OF tn,
educational lands given 10 her. bur
adopted the system OF leasing them
During the present year, up TO Nov
SOth, she had raised by this system
over $4,000, or more than half OF tn,
entire cost OF her public school avs.
TEN, n about Y OF the entire amour.
expended FOR public education in New
Mexico. The state OF Texas last veal
had an income Of 1880 from leasIn.
land.
Tive yeas 3 the Legislature adopte
the leasing system for New Mexico. Tn,
report Of the commissioner Of lands fol
the year just ended, practically the 1rSt
year OF the system shows very crafty,
ing results. The annual rental amount,
ed "a $4,000, which Is -four times tn,
amount 0A,5SG) collected by Oklahom,
, In her first year OF leasing school land
Tn leasing system harms no one bu
helps TO lir the burdens OF taxat'o'
from the shoulders OF all property W
era To grant perpetual leases or *
cessiyely long leases, would b. YER
unwise. The rental values OF this yea.
may increase several hundred per eeN
in a century. However. the lease
should be long enough, and liberia
enough To induce desirable tenants q
take out leases n improve the Ian.
~ as 10 increase It's value.