Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-05-17

Legislative Assembly OF the i
Of New Mexico. The purchase.
these lands complied in every C Ana
with the law and the rules ana regL L'our
tions as far as they became known IT,
them or were demanded by the Terri
torial land commission. AS far as
know, Delegate Andrews does not own
a foot of timber land in New Mexico.
was not the agent of Delegate An
drews in the purchase of the 1890
acres, but acted as agent for those
associated with me in the matter OF
the purchase of said lands. The Penn
sylvania Development Company was
then engaged in building the Santa Fe
Central Railway, certainly a very
proper and laudable enterprise. The
price paid ito the Territory for the
lands was SO per acre, which was at
that time the ruling figure and was
deemed very fair by all who purchased
timber lands and by the representa-
tives of the Territory Part of the
purchase price, about $12,500, has been
paid in cash and the remainder of the
purchase price, $4,000 was secured by
a note bearing six per cent interest,
upon which the interest has been paid
regularly up to this date, and which
note is amply secured by the deeds,
which are in escrow In the land COM
missioners Office The transaction
was made openly and above board,
there was no hiding and no secrecy
1t was reported in the newspapers at
the time it was made; there was no
secrecy; there was no necessity for
secrecy and there is none now. The
transaction was one of many similar
ones made by the land commission of
the Territory. Delegate Andrews had
no connection with it except as di-
rector of the Pennsylvania Develop
ment Company. The transaction was
not personal one, which would have
been to his personal benefit except as
far as his stock in the Pennsylvania
Development Company Is concerned.
This, | understand, has been disposed
of since and he has absolutely no In
terest in the transaction.
Law Complied With.
"The records of the territorial land
commission will show that territorial
lands have been sold in the same man.
ner and at the same price and that
about $4,000 acres have been sold to
persons, associations and corpora
tions. The amount of land purchased
| in this instance is comparatively small
and why this company should be sin
gled out for an attack in the public
prints is a mystery to me and Is un-
lquestionably gross outrage on pri-
vate corporation that is complying In
every particular with the laws OF the
Territory under which it exists. It is
corporation which has brought much
money into New Mexico and which
from it's organization has been engag
| ed In the development Of the resour
| ces of the Territory. The main object
of the purchase of these timber lands
was to secure suitable amount Of
timber for ties and bridges In its pro
posed construction of a railroad line
from Torrance to Roswell and from AL
buquerque to San Juan County. The
purchase was made largely on my per-
sonal recommendation. If any blame
for the purchase of these lands at
taches to any one, 1t does to- me, be-
cause recommended the purchase OF
the lands to my associates that we
might have a suitable supply Of tim.
ber for present and future develop
ment work In the Territory"