Arizona republican., 1912-09-26
LAND BOARD
 BACK IN TOWN
Commissioners Winsor and Moody Return to Catch Up With Reports. Main tain Will Work No Hard ships on Settlers.

The land commission, or 70 be more
 correct, a majority of the members
 thereof is back in Phoenix. Yesterday
 morning Chairman Mulford Winsor
 and w. A. Moody returned from the
 northeastern part of the state leaving
 Secretary CY Byrne and the chauffeur
 with the automobile at Holbrook. For
 the next few days the two members
 that have returned will be busily en-
 gagged in fixing the report of the com
 mission on the work thus far for the
 consideration of Governor Hunt who is
 expected back from the northwestern
 part of the state on Saturday The members of the commission who ar
 rived yesterday except to remain in
 Phoenix until after the first of Oc-
 tober when they will again resume
 their field work of looking over the
 lands of the state both school and state
 preparatory to making the final re-
 port to the legislature some time in
 the distant future.
 Since leaving Phoenix by way of the
 Roosevelt road about month ago. the
 commission has covered the major
 portion of two counties. Apache and
 Graham counties, appraising the inn
 proVements upon the state land as re-
 quired by the statute, and also in many
 cases setting a valuation upon land
 that is unlmproVed. In doing this task
 the commission has travelled more than
 2500 miles in all over some of the
 toughest country within the confines
 of the state. The opinion of the com
 mission is that if there is any rOugher
 country in Arizona it is up near the
 great gash in the earth's crust known
 as the Grand Canyon and situated in
 that section of the state not yet trav-
 ersed by either the commission or the
 new Apperson car.
 A number of well known and fertile
 valleys have been looked over by the land commission in the trip notably the Sulphur Springs valley in Graham county and the Aravipa valley which lies over the divide from the Sulphur Springs valley. Then the Upper Gila valley, the valleys in the White Noun tains, and the plains country in Apa- che county have been thoroughly in spected.
 Regarding the land question in Mar icopa county the commission expressed | themselves as not one what uneasy as | to the outcome of the contention. As far as any action upon the part of the commission is concerned calculated to disturb the status of the present sett- lers upon the school lands, the com mission denied having done so. In fact l it was maintained throughout some what lengthy conversation that the settlers had not been disturbed and | will not be until the legislature takes some action. Then it is not unlikely | that the legislature considering the | fights of the two previous sessions, l will be perfectly to await the report upon the question made by the lana commission.
 Upon this report, and what recon m- menlations will be made by the lana commission regarding the settlement | of the land question, as a state ques- l tion and not merely as local ques- | tion. the commission was rot Wllllng | to speak. other than to say that aa | present the intention of the commls- l sion is to work no hardship upon the l settlers now on the land.
 Assistant Attorney General Carpen- 1 fer who has been retained by the Mar 1 ;cono land lessees association to con l suIt with the land commission with a | view to arriving at satlsIactorY so | rution of the problem, will be back by | the end of the week. At that tune the ] grievances of the lesees will be put 1 into concrete form and placed before l the commission.