Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-05-16
WESTERN AFFAIRS
AT WASHINGTON
The Secretary Of the Interior Asks Congress
for an Appropriation Of s31 900 for the
Boundary Line Between New Mex
leo and Colorado.
UTAH LEASES ITS STATE LANDS TO
ST0CKMEN At 4 t-2 CENTS kN ACRE

UTAH LEASES ITS STATE LANDS TO
ST0CKMEH At 4 IL CENTS AN ACRE
| Congress on Wednesday received a
Recommendation from the interior de-
lpartments, transmitted through the
secretary of the treasury, that $31, 900
be appropriated at once to allow the
department to proceed to the re-survey
lof the boundary line between Colorado
and New Mexico. Senator Teller re-
lcently called the attention of the secre-
tary of the interior to the. fact that
this line had never been properly sur
veyed, owing to the fact that surveyors
had attempted to run line at right
angles to the meridian, which bounds
the state on the east, without making
allowance for the curvature of the
earth's surface. The southern boun-
dairy line of Colorado, which also forms
trifling portion of the northern boun-
dary line of Oklahoma, is supposed to
follow the 37th parallel of latitude. The
Recommendation of the secretary of the
interior Is that congress provide the |
funds necessary for the survey with as
little delay as possible. There are 3S1
and 1-2 miles and the estimated cost is
$75 per mile, with small additional ex-
penses. The item will no doubt be
made part of the general deficiency bill.
LAND LEASING IN UTAH.
Chairman Lacey of the house COM
mittee on public lands, received a letter
from Governor Heber NJ. Wells of
Utah, setting forth the. conditions of
land leasing for grazing in the state.
Governor Wells says that at the present
time there are about 340,47t acres of
state lands leased to stockmen in Utah.
The state is receiving an average of
~ cents per acre as rental fees. The
leases run from one to ten years. It is
stated in the letter that the present
amount of land being leased is a de-
crease of 10 per cent from the amount
leased in 1901.
Governor Wells offers no opinion as
to the general leasing of public lands
to stockmen and neither does he claim
to know whether the grass on the
range has been benefited by the leasing {
of state lands.
The opinions of the governors Of va |
rious states, where lands are being
leased to stockmen for grazing pur-
poses, are thus being gathered In by
the chairman of the public lands COM
mittee of the house and win ha sub
mitted to the committee in two weeks,
at which time 1t has been decided to
take up the leasing bills now before
congress. some four in number.
THE LACEY LEASE LAW. |,
Says dispatch to The Denver Re-
publican: Representative Lacey We'd
nesday brought before the house COM
mittee on public lands his bill for leas- ,
ing the vacant public lands Of the west
for grazing purposes with view to
ascertain the sentiment Of the commit
tee regarding it's provisions. There ]
were many expressions of approval of {
the bill as an entirety, it being conced-
ed that it apparently safe guarded set
tiers and was drawn in a way to pre-
vent fraud and speculation. Mr.. La
cey said he had received many letters
of Endorsement regarding the bill from
various sections Of the west where the
law would be operative. While the
committee believe the Lacey bill comes
nearer being perfect bill than any
yet brought forward, the general senti-
ment seems to be against any leasing
on the grounds that 1t is un-
necessary.
MAY %, has been set apart for final I
consideration of all leasing bills, when
to report either the Lacey bill or act
adversely upon all pending leasing
Several members of the
committee have stated that the Lacey
bill was apparently discriminating
against large herders, but the author Of
the bill explained that under its provi-
sions the large herds could be subdivi-
ded, and the sections placed In the care
of small holders who, under the bill,
can acquire up to 5000 acres Of grazing /
lands under lease"
INDIAN COMMISSIONER JONES
DEMANDS AN INVESTIGATION.
w. A. Jones, commissioner of Indian
affairs, has demanded an investigation
of charges that were made against him
before the senate committee on Indian
affairs, in a recent investigation con-
cerning the leasing of lands on Indian
reservations. When the testimony ta-
ken before that committee was printed
1t was discovered that a letter from w.
v. Wade of Wade, North Dakota, had
been included in the report of the testi-
mony. The letter was never offered In
formal way, and no one seems to
know how it was included in the Rec
ord, but 1t is there and contains d.
rect charge affecting the integrity Of
the commissioner. The letter stated
that the commissioner of Indian affairs
in opposing the leasing Of the lands to 1
the cattlemen might be explained byl
the fact that the commissioner was a
member of company which was try Ii
ing to get possession of the lands. The