Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-05-03
LAND BILL
IS VOLUh|NOUS
DOCUMENT Of
90 SECTIONS
Important Piece of Legisla-
tion Before Senate Furnish
ed Life-sized Job to COmfit-
tee on Lands.
ELABORATE PROVISIONS
TO PROTECT DOMAIN
lspceIal TeIegrnn, % Ilronlnr rlernlal


Especial Telegram 90 Evening Herald,
Santa Fe, ~ NJ. May s.--The
public lands bill, one OF the mos im-
porsant measures which Il Is noces-
sary for this Legislature to pass. vail
probably come before the senate TO-
day Of tomorrow. Il provides gor tIsc
administration of all OF the public
lands In New Mexico. and as the stat,
Will have tn excess of twelve million
acres, including much valuable coal
ana mineral lands OF all kinds, the
| importance Of the meapuro Is appar.
cht' The bill was agreed upon IN the
senate committee yesterday after.
noon.
Tho original bin was introduced
by AR. Fnnky carly IN the session
ana was referred 70 the committee on
public lands. This committee named
subcommittee to redraft the meas
are and that committee has worked
on II incessantly ever since. with fro
quent public ana private hearings.
1he new measure Is Just about ha,
the size of the former one. but at
That II Is voluminous document. COW
ering something like twenty-six typo
written pages and embedying eighty
sections.
This bill required more work than
any measure l have ever considered"
said a member Of the committee an
discussing Il. 1T was like writlnE q
book along specified lines. for the
measure had first TO comply with The
constitutional requirements and mex,
to provide for a method OF handli x
the lands 90 the best interests OF the
whole state and 20 preserve them in
tact to the people whore posslh1s,
The new measure. which wifl BE- re-
ported as substitute for origin
senate bill No. SO. has been reduced
TO about halg the size of tho former
measure. The former bill provided
that the state land office under Ike
land commissioner should have
charge Of the state capitol buildings
and public grounds. thereby eboli1h-
ing the capitol custodian commission.
This was eliminated because We toak
the stand that the measure could not
comply with the constitution II II un-
dertook 10 iogislate upon more than
one subject"
The bin creates the office ef sta'e
lands with the land commissioner as
the chief agent. lie has complete
charge OF ali public lands and is
made responsible under bond oi
s50.o00. An entire chapter Is devoted
20 his powers ana duties. II provides
that he shall have seal and that
no transactions shall DO official that
are not stamped with this seal.
He n given authority to employ an
assistant land commissioners al $1,000
year, cashier who is also chief
clerk az $500 q year. three clerks
al $500 a year and ono ci0rk al
1900 year. aud Is given authority ID
employ such additional help "a an
annual expense not 10 exceed &2,5CO.
as he may deem necessary.
A state land maintenance fund ~
created out Of which tho office eX-
penses. snlaries and costs OF appralBe-
ment shall be paid This fund shall
consist OF 20 per cent of all receiptr
from public lands. except those lands
for the payment OF santa Ee alid
Grant county bonds
All leases for grazing or tor ugricui-
tural purposes shall be for not moro
than five wears and shall be- paid for
in advance or secured by uogOtiablo
notes signed by at least tWu persons
other than the renter known 10 be
qualified financially 10 sign the notes.
Rentals arc n first lien upon an crops
livestock and improvements on the
lands
A fine OF $500 or term IN prison
may be assessed against anyone maxi
ing false affidavit, in applying for
rental OF stlte lands
A provision Of much Importance "a
section ef which specifically forD'da
the sale of the great coal deposits ~
the state ana provides thai they may
be leased on "a royalty basis and for
a period not 90 oxceee one year and
IN tracts OF not less than forty acres
nor more than $40 acres section 80
provides FOR the extraction OF coal ia
specified areas for periods Of not
more than fiVe yeErs on q royal J
basis 0f not less than so cents q ton.
Lessoes have preference for fc-ioasinE /
lands at The expiration OF their leases
provided they have complied with thu /
law in the interim.
q detailed and technical plan is arr |
ranged FOR she leasing OF minins /
claims on the state domain.
Timber lands ere specifically pro- I
Wdod for The commissioner is siven /
authority to soil mature timber bai /,
he cannot sell groWing timber ieSs
than ~ inches ip diameter Inside u
bark. three feet from butt of me
tree, Specified timber not less thaa
nine inches may be sold for ues
The measure provides that the iaau |
commissioner shall be tho lucatinE I
agent ana the governor chairman Of
the state land commission The meas
ure carries the emergency CLAUSE
This blli VIII pfohahly he taken up
ln committees ~ inc whole senate ana
viii likely receive aeysfal daye' con
sideraiion noiore h o. pmcca on ~
nutonao