Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-04-30
Gov. Hagerman At
tended to Import
ant Questions.
LEASES OF PUBLIC lANDs
Statehood Uncertain -. Anti.
Gambling Bill Will Very
Likely Pass.

H.
Governor Hagerman, after attend
ing the convention of Southwestern
Commercial bodies and boards OF
trade in st. Louis, went to Washington
in order TO look after important mat
ters for the territory. He remained
in the National Capital week and
was constantly busy looking after
New Mexico affairs, which at present
are attracting much attention there,
both In Congress and in the depart.
ments.
To a representative OF the New
Mexican, Governor Hagerman said:
"As to the statehood question, your
press reports and special dispatches
keep you well informed and ] have
scarcely anything new to add to the
news you are receiving daily. The
situation is very delicate and the
contending forces, both for and against
the bill, are strong. To me it looks
as if the bill still had a good chance
Of passage, with the first Foraker
amendment added to 1t. | cannot be
sure concerning this as the situation
there seems to change almost daily,
but the concensus Of opinion of the
many Senators and Representatives
had occasion to talk to on the sub.
ject would seem to indicate that such
a conclusion might finally be reached.
Territorial Lands.
q spent considerable time In the
Department of the Interior and before
the House committee on public lands,
concerning certain lands of the Terri
tory granted in 1888 to certain insti
-ntions and for the purposes of aiding
irrigation. A great deal Of this land
has been disposed of and much of it
has been leased under existing laws,
which transactions have met with the
approval Of the Department of the In
terror and are more or less closed for
the present There are, however, about
100000 acres of territorial lands, which
have been donated to the Territory
| for the maintenance and support OF
some of it's institutions and for aid in
procuring irrigation, which have with.
| in recent years, to greater or less
extent, been leased to stockraisers, un.
. der what is called grazing permits.
These were issued by the land commits
sioner of the Territory in accordance
with laws enacted by legislative as
semblies. The Department of the In
terror, after careful investigation into
this matter of the disposition of these
lands in large tracts, came to the
conclusion that these so-called graz
I, ing permits were in reality leases,
and, as the U. S. laws donating the
lands in question to the Territory, pro-
hibited leases in greater tracts than
GAO acres each, the territorial grazing
permits for tracts Of over GAO acres
in each and every case were deemed
illegal and improper and received no
approval by the secretary. AS these
grazing permits had been issued in
good faith and in accordance with ter.
ritorial law and, as the holders of
these permits had also acted in good
faith and had paid all monies re.
Quired by the Territory for the en-
joyment of these grazing permits, ii
/ was deemed best all around and the
fairest way to remedy the objection
made by the Department of the In
terror by an amendment to the orig
inal law of June 22, 1898. This, ID
enacted would allow the Territory tc
change these grazing permits into &C
4 tual leases for larger tracts than SAC
acres and to take up these grazing
permits for such tracts heretofore is
sued and for which rents have beer
paid, provided that all other condi
tions connected with them had beer
proper and right. had consultations
, concerning this important matter witt
: officials of the Department and witt
the Secretary Of the Interior, result
ing in favorable recommendation tt
the committee on public lands by th'
secretary.
"House document number 713 whicl
was sent by the Secretary of the In
/, terror to the House of Representa-
Itives and in which all papers and let
ters concerning the question are con
|tained, among them the several re
} Iports and letters submitted by me a
|, the call of the Department may b
: had by those interested by applyin
I to the clerk of the House. It contain
the latest and best obtainable informa
r tion on the subject. think tina
the bill will become law as the d.
, partment has Withdrawn Its obiet
3 tions.
!. The Anti.Gambiing Bill.
!. Concerning the Littlefeld Anti
: Gambling Bill, 1t is my opinion tina
1t will become law and before Ions