Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-03-23

!
I under the provisions of the act.
These are the principal provisions
of The said act of congress which re-
/ strict the territorial government in
the administration OF the lands. and
1t max be said without much exag-
geratiun that, since the act was passed
in 1898, the general course of legisla -
ton In the territory and the trend of
| the administration under such lcgis-
lation has been toward the evasion In
one form or another Of such restrict
i've provisions
; Various acts have been passed by
! the territorial legislature relative to
| the administration of these lands the
! main one being chapter "a of the laws
/ of 1899. chapter 60 of the laws of
! 1901. chapter rs of the laws of 1903.
/ and chapter III of the laws Of 1905.
/ All these laws are long and verbose
/ and much confusion has resulted both
| in the minds of the territorial officials
| who have attempted to enforce them.
/ and of the people who have attempt
/ ed to act under them.
/ The first duty i'm connection with
/ the act of 1898 was the duty of the
| United States land commission To Sc
| leet the lands, and naturally II was
7
| be chosen for the purpose of obtain
/ ing for the institutions for the sup
| port of which they were granted. the
| largest amount of income possible. 1t
is generally known that such was not.
in all instances, by any means, the
case. The selection of lands in the
valley of the Pecos and other places.
which are now of high value, was ur-
gently recommended, and the recon-
meudatiOns not acted upon. Partially
was shown in the selections and large
areas of land, sparscly Watered and
very inferior even for grazing pur-
poses, We're selected upon the recon-
mendation of people who desired to
control the land when purchased, for
purely speculative purposes. No at
tention whatever was paid in many
instances in the selections made. to
the restrictive provisions of the act
Of congress as to the selling and LEAFS
ing, that is to say that land was not
then selected and has not been since
with view of selling it in l60 acre
tracts or leasing 1t in $40 acre tracts.
IT was not contemplated that these
provisions could be enforced in this
country or that if they could be en-
forced that they would be enforced; !;
that such was the point of view Of
some members of the territorial gov
ernmcnt nj least fs evidanrad nv tbo
fact that on NAV IL. 1901 an nnftnn
to purchase "au the timber Lands no
longing to the territory in northern
and centraR New Mexico" was given
to one man named Edmund j. Burke,
land said option spread upon the min
uteS of the board of public lands 4
draft of five thousand dollars was de-.
posfted as y bonus I'm mis- arrarero-
ment, either at the time the option
was made or sixty days later when it
was renewed How this sale was to
be consummated if the option had
been taken up, does not appear, but
it seems thar the intention was that
through certain influential men from
OUTSIDE the territory who were inter
oSteo III lhe matter law should he
rr put ,uroush llS congress ol The
,illleN states thanllhg cunsumma-
,oH ol tuc Sd!g--lor the penellt OF
lIt eIIltoIE' lnlS aIrdhsemeht was
'u. Voilsu'll llla'eu' altlouEh Varleus
"PPil'"'itS WHO uppucd Tor I'm per
l"lus aIreuuN SeLeclen or 10 pe Sc
ty'teu were Put on pehulHS lhe nte or
'Ilc "PuuI' IIeNiouS 1" thlS, name!y'
,Au' uSI o. lH'P' the p"ard ot pubilc
'"io'' VI NIlitH lIle present ComnllS-
1IoIet was hcInper' instructed the
'''al'"S dEeH' oi 'ile p"dru !" proceed
~ ''le H"C t'"leH'o lhountaluS ana 10
','te l"r tle purpose or SeIcctloh ny
lue puard Il IarSe area OF timber
anus th' IocallnE agent helng M
S'ruc'e" 10 make such selections IN ac-
coroanVe WIN the desires OF the en-
sI"FSIS Oh me oartIeS VINO were |"
CHdSe an" VINO Id'eF ulu purchase
mention ihese matter. which are
ohlE examples OF many which can be
luuHu ny sIlshl examination, to
SNOW WIa' was the attitude or the
territorial aulhorltles as lar as the DIS
poSllI"h OF Iald IN gefater areas than
Ioo acres, was concerned.
In regard to the leasing Of areas
greater than $40 acres, the legisla-
ture itself misconStrued the federal
law when it provided for the issuance
of pasturage permits I'm the acts of
1901 and 1905, giving the commits
sioner the right to grant the right of
pasturage upon such amount of un-
leased Iahd as ne might determine for
the pest interest or the territory. I'm
der these laws ana before the com
missioner or pubic lands or any one
else ever submitted the question of
tlelt lesaIliN 10 the Iedefal authors
tl'S' permits lor pasturage We're IS
Sueq on 5bI425,39 acres OF land and
appucatlonS were under consideration
Tor 'aZ9o5 acres, some of winch
lau peeh selected d! the board or
pupnc lahds, OF Which the present
commissioner was memher, Tor the
purpose oi Issuing paslurh@c permits
"I'oh lhch'
In March, 1905, these permits were
called to the attention of the COM
missioner of the general land office
for the first time, and I'm September.
1905. the assistant attorney general