Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-08-26
Calls Persons Who Insinuate
There Might Have Been Tim
Der Land Frauds "BabbIing
FiendS."
HANDS SMALL BUNCH TO
THE FOREIGN AGENTS
Attorney General De-
cIareS Government Repre-
SentativeS are Ignorant
and That Suits are "Crude, "
LspeeIal correspondenee Morning JonrnaII

Especial correspondence Morning journal. !
santa Fe. y. NJ, Aug. Cit APP
pears that the Hon. George Washing
tpn Priehard, formerly attorney gen
eral Of the territory is a trifle ruff
fled.
MT Prlchard. it VIII be remember
ed, is q defendant, along with some
other territorial officials OF the old
regime. in suits brought by the gov
eminent through its representative.
FcytOu Gordon ana OrmSbN McHarg.
80 set aside alleged fraudulent sales Of
territorial timber lands to lumber
companies. Mr.. Prichard has been IN
duCei to break his silence la regard
60 his position in the case and has
reluctantly granted The Santa Fee New
Mexican "A -tWo-column interview ON
tlc subject. Mr.. Prichard. who, il
Nlll be reCallCds was rendered some
valuable assistance by the government
mon in filing exceptions in behalf Of
tHe territory 20 the referees report in
the Hursum case. is evidently not In
stmpathy with the methods Hor pro-
,edure Of the government representa-
tiyes. Tine interview il as follows:
4 Wen into the office OF attorney
general Of this territory on the 18Th
Gay of November, 1901. ana left the
office on the first day Of June. a. d..
1906. / again entered the office ON
May 4, 1907, and retired thercfrom
ON the 18TH Of his month. 1 was a
member of the board of public lands
from The day / % the oath Of office
On the 18th day of November. 1904,
until The board became defunct ON the
iGtH day of May. 1908 During the
time "a attorney ecutr"i.u NOT at
acre of tine lands of this territory was
contracted for or sold to any one.
There had been some lands sold by
The board before I Went into office.
and / had occasion from time to time
To- look into such sales, and il never
occurred TO me that the territorial
land board had been guilty of any
fraud IN The disposition of amy of the
lands belonging 10 The territory. No
fdcts ever came To my knowledge ON
which such a conclusion could be
based.
Fraud in his relation implies de-
ocption, collision. cheating, swindling
and official corruption. knowing
The men who constituted that board,
} would be loath Ia believe that eth
or of them could be guilty. of a dis
honest ACT. IL there We're any dishOn-
esty there. it would be no trouble 10
show d.. There may have been eases
where individuals have imposed On
The board and may ave secured
some of the territorial lands for spec
u%lation, but such things are liable to
happen and do happen TO the land
officers of the United states frequent
ly. know that certain evilly dispos-
sd persons have charged that the
board or certain members Of 1t. rec
cciNed money or other consideration
for favoring certain applicants to pur-
chase territorial lands, but these are
the meaningless words Of the SIAN
dcrer. There is no truth In the ass
-trlIuus to- support them, These bah
bling ficnds are not 10 be believed.
and they are not believed by the
thinking man. The story is without
foundation. and is q lie upon its face.
DO you suppose for "a momen that
ID thcie we're any truth in such re-
ports. that affidavits would not have
been furnished of the facts. 10 these
foreign agents, who would roll them
as sweet morsels under their
tongues -"
but ) Per Cent of Lands Disposed OF.
Colonel Prichard was asked how
much Of the lands granted 10 The ter
ritory under the act or congress Of
June y, A, -. 1898, had been sold.
liIs answer was:
"By that act the general govern
mcnt granted ca the territory for in
ftitutional purposes 1,3f3,0S0 acres.
The United States land commission
consisting of the governor, the sur
NeNur general and the attorney gem
eral. has from time 10 time located
ANA selected To the credit OF the vari-
Gus Institutions named in the act
nearly an of the lands thus granted.
] trust no charge has ever been made
that there was any fraud in this SCI
lection and location. The secretary
OF che interior approved these seicc-
tiuns gnd "a charge Of fraud in these
selections would involve that officer
as Wcll MS the board. Mr.. Hitchcock
Was secretary of the interior at The
time, and as he H. regarded by many
as q paragon Of virtue. IL would be
bitsphcmy to connect his name with
fraud OF any sort. Scventy-One thou
sand aud eighty acres OF these select
"a lands have been sold by the terri
tol}. or about 3 per cent Of the tutIl
area of tho |1.343.0S0 acres donated
hf the general government. have
known Of one forest fire IN this ,ar-
fttlIy that destroyed more timber In
one week than an Of the above Hose
acres ever contained. The territory
received for these 7l.0S0 acres the
sum of ? S125.32, which the terri
tory educational and other public
institutions have received the benefit
ni Not an acre Of these lands sold
f0r less thar three dollars an acre
ana some 81 10 sold for as much as
Tour dollars and fifty cents an acre
rms was from a dollar % seventy
I've cents TO three dollars and twenty
1--WE cents more than the minimum
price fixed by the act Of congress.
The timber that has been cut from
anT uf these sold lands has gone into
Che construction Of homes and other
improvements for the benefit of the
people ~ this territory. The poor
lands were sold with the good and
many acres sold for more than they
were worth. What are these lands
o. hc ow ned by the territory for il
not tn pass into the hands u the peo-
pie, Tor their benefit and for the
benefit 81 the educational and other
public Institutions of the territory p
Why should the territory play the
pan II the dog IN D. Manager. by
holding these lands. getting no bene-