Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-01-26
REPORT OF LAND
Commissioner
It Shows a Gratifying In
crease Of Business During
the Past Year.
SUMS PAID SCHOOL FUNDS
Recommended That the Salaries
and Expenses Of the Office
be Paid From Appro-
priations.

| The third annual report OF A. "A.
Keen as commissioner of public lands,
has been filed with Governor Otero.
The report IS detailed statement Of
the transactions of the Office and shows
that during the year ending December
81, 1902, 430 leases of common school
lands We're approved by the
secretary of the interior and the
amount of rental is $11,640.96 There
are 81 leases representing rental of
81, ,8O7. 40 on file in the department of the
interior which have not been approved
and As applications to lease not yet COM
pleted by applicants representing a
rental of $680.7O. The apportionment
of the common school income fund OF
April Is, 1902, was $4,11651 and of June
10, 1902, was $4,S15.71, or total appor-
tionment for the six months ending
June 80, 1902, of $S,932.22. The total
amount available as deposited with the
territorial treasurer for 1902, was $685.
O94.77 The unapportioned balance jan
uary 1, 1902, was 81. 1.394.97, making to-
tai of $26,4S974. The amount unappor-
toned was $17,557.52. Five per cent Of
the net proceeds of the sales Of public
lands within the territory by the Unit
ed States is used as a permanent fund,
the interest of which only shall be ex-
pended for the support of the common
schools within the territory From this
source there was received for the fiscal
year ending June 30, the sum of $780,
As. The increase in receipts from this
source has been extraordinary. The first
year the receipts were $894.3S, the Sec
ond $1,291.12, and the third year $253O.45
or total for the three years Of $4,715.-
95. The net receipts deposited with the
territorial treasurer for the three
years amounted to $133,427.69.
There are in force 1888 leases, repre-
senting 661,0O0 acres of land, Of school
sections 16 and 36. The net amount of
receipts deposited with the treasurer
for the use Of the common school In
come fund has been $5O,344.05 and the
expense incurred in managing the same
averages, for the three years, and So
100 cents per acre.
Commissioner Keen recommends that
the running expenses of the Office in
cluding salaries, be included In the an
nual appropriations made by the -legis-
lature in the same manner as the rum
ming expenses and salaries Of other off,
GERS are provided for. He says that
the present method of deducting rum
ming expenses and transmitting to the
treasurer the net receipts is unsatisfac-
tory and a fixed allowance for the run
ming expenses Of the Office should be
made and drawn upon by vouchers
through the auditors office. The re-
port closes by saying:
II desire to call your attention to
Section 4, Congressional Act Of June 81,
1898, which provides as follows:
"'Sec. 4. That five per centum of the
proceeds Of the sales of public lands
lying within said territory which shall
be sold by the United States subse-
quent to the passage of this act, after
deducting all expenses incident to the
same, shall be paid to the said terri
tory, to be used as a permanent fund,
the interest Of which only shall be ex-
pended for the support Of the common
schools within said territory"
II would recommend that law be
enacted authorizing and directing the
territorial treasurer to purchase any
territorial bonds with any proceeds de-
rived therefrom, and the accrued inter-
est be credited to the common school
income fund as contemplated by said
section. This requirement should ap.
ply to all institutional permanent
funds. 5e
''The amount now on deposit with the
territorial treasurer for this fund is
$4,715.95."