Arizona republican., 1914-06-23

1 ty acres are estimated as necessary for | range for steer or COW. In addition | to the grazing land, the Indians have 1 considera ble areas under cultivation 1 along the Little Colorado and TenebetO | Rivers; also there is considerable area under cultivation in the neighborhood | of Tucker Lake; these areas could be l very largely enlarged by the scientific 1 | construction of small dams and di version ditches There is an area of about two thousand acres which is naturally overflowed by the Tenebeto and there is total of about fifteen l | thousand acres that could be placed under cultivation, by correct methods along the Little Colorado River, the Tenebeto and in the vicinity of Tucker Lake, without any irrigation system. Under irrigation this base land would l grow alfalfa, corn, Sorphum barley, 1 and wheat Added to the real value of these lands must be considered the value to the government of securing these odd numbered sections to add to it's holdings of even numbered sections, thus forming a solid block.
 On the other hand the value of the lieu lands is to be considered and in regard to this we need not go into de- tail; We all know that the lands select ed Were lands open to entry under the desert and homestead land laws, on which lands the highest valuation
 placed by the government is $1.25 per acre; also this is true of the grazing lands on which a great many of the cattlemen have placed scrip. These
 lands so selected are practically val
 ueless except for grazing and of these lands it is estimated that at least 90 ! to 100 acres must be allowed as range
 for steer or COW. The school sections
 of the state that are leased to the cat tlemen are, in a majority of cases. given a valuation of but $1.00 to $125 per acre. In fact the lieu lands taken as a whole do not exceed in value the base lands. In the article. to which I am replying, it is stated that the scrip
 was sold by the railroad company for
 $2.50 and resold by the dealers at $500 per acre, which is true and in eX
 plaining why the individual settlers
 Were willing to pay $500 per acre for
 scrip for their lands We must take into
 
 paying for the value of the land tn
 them. while in giving our valuation of
 the base lands we did not estimate the
 value of the lands to the Indians when , stating the valuation as s2.00 per acre I have not the time and do not feel
 like asking you for the space to go further into the relative value of the
 base and lieu lands. What I wish
 most emphatically to deny is the
 statement made in the above article to
 the effect that the scrip was not filed
 for the small holder but that the great
 CT volume of it is now in the hands of the large land owners and cattlemen This is absolutely false and untrue and l. the records of my office or the records of any of the dealers who have resold : this scrip will verify my statement to the effect that this scrip was filed for , the small holder and that it is they 7 who will suffer if, through the unfair protest of Mr. Winsor of the state land commission, patent fails to issue.
 : The article goes on to state that the fact that the scrip was not filed for the small holder "is illustrated by the maps y which have been prepared after months of labor, from the records of the land office. In one case it is shown that y the owner of the scrip covering several e sections laid it in such a way as to
 surround entirely several other sec I ions which from their position be- e came essentially a part of his hold q ings. This statement is so ridiculous e to one who understands how these fil- l. ings are made that it really needs no = reply, but for the benefit of those who e might be misied by that part of the ?. article. will say that no maps could r show for whom this scrip was filed as s the records of the land office shows in II every instance that it was filed in the 2, name of the Santa Fe Pacific Rail y way company; this is in accordance T. with the departmental ruling govern T ing the act under which this scrip was L. issued. No one. without having acess It to my files or those of the other scrir 'e dealers can say for whom this scriT l. was filed. The Navajo Base consisted i'd of approximately 327.OO0 acres anG le there are approximately 1000 person. is who purchased scrip, which would giv, le an approximate average of 321 acres tt if each person. In the case of the cat is tlemen larger tracts have been filet ie but the land selected for these men, al le mentioned above, is absolutely worth = less for any other purpose than fo of grazing land and, if taken in smal -d tracts, would be worthless for that r. lnasmuch as the cattle industry is on, is of the most valuable assets of oul r. state, l do not see that same should b,
 discouraged by withholding this rang if land from them when it would be o d, no possible value to anyone else.
 le It is further stated in the article re )n ferred to that very little hardshil l. would result to actual settlers from de refusal to issue patents on their lands it In most cases according to the investi 1g gation of the commission, the individ ut ual settlers who have scripped thei or lands had become weary of comp1yini