Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-08-29
FACILITATING VANCE.
He Is a Detriment to the Progress
Of New Mexico.
He DELAYS MINING DEVELOPMENT.

QulnDy vance, WHO u an HppllCant
for reappointment as surveyor general
Of New Mexico, made his estimates TO
the department yearly and insisted
that the needs of the Office required
large appropriations for the survey
Of public lands. for the survey Of pri-
vate land claims, for small claim
holdings. for mineral surveys, and
most pathetically each year begged
that his salary be increased from 49,.
600 to $4,000 annually: and for the in
crease Of the clerical force OF his Of
flee to $4,000 and for an increase of
contingent expenses from 81 1000 TO
81, 200. To help in his estimates he
would refer to the large increase
Of filings on public lands and REFER.
ing to the court OF private lanj
claims to confirm millions Of acres
to- grant owners. said: The work of
this Office in connection with the sur
vey Of these grants will create a large
and increasing amount OF labor.
also. II therefore estimate that the
appropriation OF $4,000 will fully be
required for the survey of public
lands and small holding claims in
New Mexico" After an appeal for
an increase of the contingent fund he
says: THE salary OF the surveyor
general should be allowed at the rate
Of $4,000. owing to the large amount
Of vacant lands being rapidly settled
upon and to the conditions of oil
branches of industry being so pros.
porous Then he makes his esti.
mates, viz: For survey of public
lands. $25.000; private land claims,
$4,000; salary of surveyor general.
So. 1000; salary of clerical force OF Of
fec, $l3,GO0; contingent expenses.
81. 700; total. SOS, 300. That looks well
on paper. What are the facts OF rec
ord? The secretary apportioned
$4,000 for survey of public land in
1899 and the surveyor general let
contracts for only si,3s7. At the end
Of the fiscal year the books show
only sl32.92 paid out and s9,SG7.0S was
turned back into the treasury and the
surveyors with si,254.OS due them
cavo To wait one or more years till the
secretary Of the treasury gets con.
gross to make a special allowance for |
them. On private land claims Il Is
worse. with $4,000 apportioned. |
contracts for only s3.5S5.75 are let. |
and most all of the $4,000 Is turned |
into the treasury. In 1900 only |
$4,000 was apportioned, a loss OF ST.. |
900; contracts let for only $3,405.75,
and only sS5 paid out at the end of
the fiscal year. All but $S5 IL re.
to the treasury.
II was worse on the side Of private
claims: With $4,000 appor-
contracts for only 1885 SO |
let. and over $4,000 was turned
back into the treasury. Owing to the
mall amounts of contracts the sec |
cut the opportionment for pri.
yate land claims to 100000, a loss Of
$4,000, and for public lands a second
to $4,000. making a net loss to
New Mexico of $4,000 in two years, In |
1901; for 1902 there may be a further |
loss of $1,000.
a person holding a responsible DO |
iition under the general land Office |
1T has been a mystery around |
the Office how Vance got so much
work done with paying out so very |
little money"
Inquiry being made OF various per. |
sons as to what could be the probable
cause OF such action by anyone, oh. |
tained the reply from one also hold.
ing a responsible position that there
could be only one of two reasons. One
was that of showing great economy
in conducting the Office and hereby |
making a showing for a denomination |
But whore an officer in his estimates
said that $4,000 for public SURVEYS
1nd $4,000 for private land surveys
was absolutely necessary, and then
let contracts for only one.nfth or one.
Eighth OF the amount, to all serious
thinking men 1t only showed the hyp.
The only other cause could
be. that the business OF the office
was so unfortunately mixed up that he
could not attend to the business of
.ontracts for any larger amount than
was let, and In that case IL showed
grossest incompetency. The off,
further said. AS all other sur.
ioyor generals not only used all the
money apportloned to them, but were
continually calling for more. | think
he strange action in this case was
certainly causing very ~unfavorable
Comment everywhere"
Another person in a responsible DO.
iitlon in the general land Office said
hat any person who would make esti. |
mates for $4,000 for surveys OF pub.
ic and private lands, and when he had
L all III his W hands, only let con. |
.racts FOR one-sixth or one-eighth Of
nat amount, was either n fool or a
inave, and probably both. And that
must have thought that the man
% whom he reported was so careless
that he would not look at HIS report. |
Or that he was so Indifferent that he |
would not care what he said In his off. |
cial report, or as to how he acted on