Gilpin observer., 1903-06-04
sale Of school Lands.

In reply to criticisms against the all
legged general or indiscriminate sale OF
state school lands by the State Land
Board, Governor Peabody has issued
the following signed statement:
"The majority membership Of the
present board is not at all worried by
the attacks against it during the past
week. We are acting in our Judgment
for the best interests of the state. OF
which each county and every local
school district is a part, and these
questions must be decided more or less
from judicial standpoint, having all
these interests in view.
I'VE have not established a policy
of selling state lands
I'VE have recently ordered several
small lots of land sold, usually in for
ty, eighty and 160-acre tracts. where
the applicants have established homes
and for years have been the tenants OF
the state, having invested all their saw
ings in improvements on state lands.
and where to have compelled them to
follow the leasing system would have
been rank injustice. These lands Will
provide revenue from direct county
and school district taxation far in ex-
SCoS VI tuc pIO Idtfi ultlSiOu Vi tAC NV
enue derived from leasing them. At tho
same time, 1t puts the owners home
on a foundation secured by deed to
the land, and does away with the
shaky title secured by lease, under
which the improvements on state lands
come to the market every time the
lease Is renewed, because of the fact
that any person Is at liberty to enter q
bid for the land. Our action secures
for these purchasers and their families
a permanent residence in our state.
which their improvement of the land
sold shows they were striving to win.
"A few counties are overloaded with
state lands. The continued rental OF
these lands, II the narrow policy of not
selling anything was adopted, would
retard the development and progress OF
their school districts as we'll as the
counties themselves.
THE land board which Immediately
preceded us appears to have held the
same views. 1t sold in 1902 9.480
acres of state lands. and in most in
stances the sales appear to have been
ordered by unanimous vote Of the
board. The average price was about
50 per acre. The records show that in
addition to the above the board unani-
mOusly voted to order a sale of 1,760
acres in Otero county on September IL.
1902. at which time 1t appears to have
established policy of requiring the
very limited period of residence on the
land to six years.
The present land board has unani-
n9usly ordered the sale of about 1.200
acres to the Mormon settlement in
Conejos county. the land being situated
largely in the alkali belt, at an average
Cf oh N, h.
er parts of the state, several reservoir
cites. and has unanimously rejected ap-
plications for sale of about 1000 acres.
AT its last meeting the Republican
majority of the board ordered several
sales to be made, one of them receiv-
ing the unanimous vote of all the mem
bers. Some of them are in Otero coun-
ty, and minimum prices were fixed at
SIS and 500 per acre. Another was to
the Sugar Land and Irrigation Com
pany. This company was allowed to
purchase one-half of q section for the
erection of beet sugar factory and
trackage in Adams county. In addition
to paying IS per acre for the land. they
have contracted to furnish water for
irrigating other st1te lands to the
make the balance of the section sell for
$3.50 per acre.
Perhaps this is injurious to the
school fund. II 1t is we want also to be
blamed for bringing the state land Of
fee up to date in Its work. We found
chaos when we took Office. To-day 1t is
in order, working smoothly. and the
work is not tagging behind in any de-
partment.
I'VE are constantly increasing the
acreage rented.
I'VE are making uniform raises In
rentals OF from twenty-five to fifty per
cent. Where the old board was satis-
fed TO receive 20 cents an acre for
farming lands we are securing in no
case less than 80 cents, and in some
cases as high as rs cents per acre.
Prices now will average about 40
cents.
I'VE found $4,000 due the state on
old certificates of purchase which
could have been collected by former
boards had their interest been as keen
in school fund matters as 1t Is at this
time. We will collect large part or
this money, but In a number OF in
stances the lands will revert to the
state.
I'VE found the Office full Of disputes
and contests that have hung fire for
years. and probably should be censured
for bringing about settlement OF the
controversy between the North and
Middle Park cattlemen. whereby the
state school funds will derive a reve-
nde Of $1,000 per year. For eight
years previous to this time those lands
have not brought a cent OF revenue to
the school funds.
"The majority of the board expect
criticism. but we concede to mono q
greater interest in ColOradOs schOola
or institutions than we possess. There
will probably be sales Of state lands Or ,
dered in the future when the showing ,
made before the board justihes such
action. We promised the people of this