The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-10-21
SOME OF Mr.. MICHEL'S LAND
DEALS.

DEALS.
Photographic fac-similes and au-
thentic extracts reproduced from o.
ficial records and published by New
Orleans newspapers within the past
four weeks establish the following
facts, among others, with reference
to deals in state lands effected by
John T. Michel while he held the
office of secretary of state:
That on July 2, 1912, he filed an ap-
plication in the state land office. TO
purchase at 12A cents per acre 90
$50 acres of so-called sea marsh lana
in Vermilion parish, the legal price
of which was about to be raised TO
Is cents an acre by an act then peno-
ing in the general as5embly-Act NO.
1925 of l902-which had already pass
ed the senate and was on It's thlro
reading in the house, passing the
latter body the following day, July 8.
That Gov. Heard signed Act NO.
125 on July 5 and sent it the same
Gay to Secretary Of State Mlchel
for PRONUNCIATION by publication IN
the official journal.
That the necessary affidavit Of two
witnesses in support of Mr.. Mlchels
application was filed in the land Of
flee July II, and Act No. lbs was
promulgated three days later, July
20.
That this land entry was completed
in the following October, either on
the 25tn or 18th day of that month";
and on the 31st, three days later
Mr.. Michel sold the tract to the
Lichtenstein-H eekinger Canal Com.
pany for Is cents per acre, thus re-
! ceiving $4393 more than he had paid
| for the property, which sum would
nave Injured to the benefit of the
state had the original entry been
delayed only a few days, until Act
| No. 1926 became formally effective,
When the foregoing facts were
given publicity Mr.. Michel defended
| himself in series Of explanatory
statements, claiming that he had done
no wrong, either legally or morally,
and his contentious from this stand
Doint, were quoted in The Chief OF
| September 30. In one of his state
| ments, however, he denounced as a
| falsehood the charge that he made
application for lands ON July 11, nine
| days after the act raising their price
| from 121a to rs cents had come into
his official custody and three days be-
/! fore the measure was promulgated
in the official Journal. He said MS
application was filed and the deposit
! of the purchase price made on July 2.
This denial was literally correct as
to the original ar.,s white Lake en-.
try as 1t is now essssoWn, but on Sun
1 day last, October. 10, there appeared
/ in the New Orleans Times-Democrai
\ fac-sinniles of entries for two addition
al tracts of state land, one in Yer
z! milton and the other in Cameron par
ish, made by Mr.. Michel on July u
the same day that affidavit in sup
port Of his first entry was filed
Hence, it is not a falsehood, but ar
!, incontestable fact that the secretary
Of state did file applications and de
post the purchase price of 12h2 cents
an acre for lands that would have
brought the state double that price
J a few days later; and it is an admit
: ted fact that at the time these las
entries were made Act No. 125 hae
been nine days in the hands OF tbs
entrant awaiting PRONUNCIATION.
Passing over for the present any
i reference to the former secretary o
, states other land entries and spec
ulations, and deferring any argumen
as to the measure of moral or ethlca
culpability attaching to these trans
actions, The Chief invites Mr.. Niche
or any of his friends-and mort
!, particularly the newspapers of tn
, state that are supporting his candi
lacy for governor-to review tn
foregoing statement and to point GU
S wherein it departs in the slightes
q degree from the facts and truth Q
: @he matters presented.