Arizona republican., 1912-09-24
LAND CHOSEN
 AT FORT GRANT
For New State s. Industrial School Which Will be Oc- cupied as Soon as Survey is Made and Building Re paired.

The trip of the Arizona state land commission throughout the eastern portion of the state in a new Apper- son automobile purchased for that es- pecial purpose has turned out to be not all aimless wandering. Since the departure of the commission with the complete camp outfit and it's 1900 pounds gross weight a visit has been made to the Fort Grant military res erVation and the selection of two thousand acres of the land of that reservation made upon which the new state industrial school will be located
 It was understood when congress by a recent enactment appropriated the parcel of land from the military reser- vation for the purposes of the indus trial school, that the selection would be made so that the twenty mine build ings located there would be included. This means the state will have the location of the school with but little outlay for the erection of buildings The present structures are not all in the best of repair but they can be put in splendid shape at but little expense.
 The location of the industrial school was the cause of a sweet scrap in the recent legislature. The present school is located at Benson in Cochise county and is in poor condition. Shortly af- ter Governor Hunt came into office he appointed a commission upon the se- lection of a site for the industrial school and the commission went ahead and travelled all over the state look ing at available sites. When the time came for the report instead of an- nouncing for one location the commis sion announced for five, one of which, the second choice was the Fort Grant military reservation. Another was the Cuff Ranch also in Graham county. The Graham county delegation in the legislature attempted twice to pass legislation that would settle upon the Cuff Ranch as the choice spot upon which ti locate the school. The Co., chise county delegation however did not see through the same spy glass and bucked the proposition. A fight en- sued and the outcome of 1t was that the matter was thrown back upon the shoulders of the board of control to in- vestigate and report back to the legis- lature at the next session. The report back at the next session business was pulled several times during the event full sittings of Arizona's first legisla- tion.
 The board was also given power to move some of the inmates of the Ben son institution should the necessities of the case require it creating a branch school.
 And in the meantime. Old man meantime works nearly all the while. And in the meantime the Arizona dele gation in the national congress had se- cured the Fort Grant site. It being however government iand, the func- tion of the state land commission was invoked in order that the proper se- lection be made. Since leaving Phoe- nix the state land commission has wis ited the reservation and presumably made the necessary selections but the report of the commission upon the matter has not yet been made to the governor
 It is understood that Surveyor Gen. eral Ingalls, has instructions to go ahead and make the requisite surcey as soon as the reports are in and the selections made. When this is done and the buildings repaired a branch school will be established and the boys from the Benson school sent over there to help fix up the place, ard hold it down until the meeting of the legis- Iature when the girls will be sent ovre also.
 In anticipation of the move shortly to be made, Secretary Osburn of the board of control made recent visit to California where he looked into the methods of conducting the schools of similar nature in that state. Pleased with what he saw he will recommend such changes as will bring the Arizona school up to the standard of what he saw on the Pacific coast. The new location is situated advantageously for a school of the nature which Governor Hunt seeks to make the Arizona school. The land around the military post proper is very fertile, the eleva- tion and water supply such as to per init of farming in the summer under irrigation, so that the school will shortly after it's relocation become self supporting.
 At Benson IHe DONS III tliC oShAOOi have had very little opportunity to learn farming, but at Fort Grant they will have all the opportunity in the world The actual vocational pur- suits which they will be taught can be carried on there under the best pos sible conditions. It is expected in the near future to organize a cadet corps in the school, and band is now being being conducted even at Benson.
 As for the girls, their lot is along the line of vocational pursuits also. They will be taught such useful arts as will be of service to them in life following their leaving the institution. Sewing, cooking and such needful do- mestic knowledge is being taught them. With the movement to Fort Grant they will also receive instruc- tion in dairying, and chicken farming, bee keeping and the like.
 The whole policy of the conduct of the industrial school is to do away as rapidly as possible with the idea that the school is a part of the penal in stitutions of the state, and make it a part of the educational branch of the states activities.