Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-11
REPORT SHOWS
( BUSINESS DONE
BY LAND OFFICE
More Than a Million Dollars
Turned Into Treasury by
Commissioner Ervien in the
Last Two Years.

SPECIAL pisrsreH TO MORNING JOURNAL
Santa Fe, y. NJ, Dec. 10.--Few
people have any adequate idea OF the
extent and amount Of business trans
acted by the state land office and the
extent of the heritage given the state
by Uncle sam In the school land
grant. Some idea of il. however, may
be gained by the report OF Land Com
missioner X. r. ErNien to Governor
W. G. Mcdonald. which includes the
reports of the capitol custodian com
mittec, the commission for the selcc-
lion OF state lands, the Carey act
land board. the capitol sewer and cap
itol improvements.
During the period covered, the
vest SUM Of s1,2l3.449 was collect.
ed. The collections for the fiscal
year covered were $4TG,129.37 and
for last year S731,320.il, indicating
that there is an ever increasing de-
mand for New Mexico lands.
or the sums collected more than
100000 went into the permanent
school fund ana more than $iG9, 600
into the income fund. thus making
possible the five months minimum
term and for the future seven
months minimum term
Sources of Income.
The sources of income were. $780,
sfv.G4 from applications; S29,664.57
lease notes; S1,259.42 interest; from
sales of state lands patents issued
$l1,3I045; contracts issued. S27,1S3-
.G5: interest, $29,129.26; forestry re-
ceipts, $34,272.GS. escheats of es-
tatcs. SEIZE; deposits for improve
ments. s2.S94.16: sale of timber s13,-
325.G2 five per cent proceeds from
L. S. land offices, $l4,4S2.S9; refunds
s2,6G5.11
or the various institutions, the uni
versity received more than $50,
the Agricultural college almost $780,
000 the state Normal school at Sill
yer City, over $4,000 as did also the
Normal university at Las Vegas,
while the Spanish normal at Ell Isito
received over $500 and the Eastern
Normal school. $4,000; the School of
Mines almost $4,000: the Military In
stitute at Roswell, almost $4,000 the
reform school, $1,000; the Miners
hospital almost $4,000; the Insane
asylum almost $4,000; the peniten-
tiary almost $500: the Blind asylum
almost $500; the Deaf and Dumb
water reservoir fund $4,000 were
added, to the Rio Grande Improve
ment fund over $4,000; public build
ings more than $1,000; railroad bond
Indebtedness fund over $4,000. char
table institutions. $500.
The most peculiar item perhaps, is
the income from estates of persons
who die without leaving a will and
having no relatives. From that source
almost $500 have been received.
Unique Record.
The land commissioner office
stands unique In that 1t turned back
the past year almost $40, 000 to which
il was entitled for running expenses,
using only $60,551.10 to administer
the great trust which involves an
enormous amount of detail work. The
salaries paid amounted to less than
$4,000. the extra clerical expense TO
less than $4,000; the travelling ex-
penses to $4,000: postage, Sl,5O0;
printing, $1,000; while TO newspapers
almost $4,000 was paid for the publ
cation of legal notices Office sup
plies cost almost $1,000; stationery
&1,400; telegraph and telephone. $4Ou;
court costs almost $4,000: examina-
ton and selection of lands little
more than $4,000: bonds for en-
ployes, $500. A test of the efficiency
OF the office is found in the fact that
the per cent of expenses to the |
amount transferred to The state treas !
ury has decreased from Il per cent !
in 1911, the year before statehood, 10 /
four-fifths Of one per cent last year.
The law permits the use of 20 per |
cent for expense of administration I
but less than one-half of that has been
used the past three years.
The grand total of transfers to the |
state treasury since 1900 has been
of which one-half, now
ever, has been transferred since the
coming of statehood, that Is during 4
the past three years. In 1900, me
amounted to S13,5 1871 iasl
wear. s413.793.24: the highest under
the territory having been $i7V'soz'-i
In 1910.
Small St0ckmen Favored.
In 1914 there were in force S,42t
leases covering 4,Ssf,77S acres as
against 2.021 leases in 1909 covering
.991.g72 acres. There were AS CON
tracts to purchase covering l5s,9vl
icres this wear as against IA contracts
N 1910 covering ! 200 acres in lsVs'
he average lease covered $50 acres
his year II covers 1,427 acres, the
average contract In 1910 covered 80
lcres. this year 111S acres. However,
J. 7O3 leases were for less than t4V
tcres, thus giving the small STOCK
nan the better of it. There are ~
eases between 10000 and 20,VvV
Icres: 60 of between 5000 and iV,VVv
Icres, 81 between 1900 and b'UVV !
Lcres: 1876 between 1000 ana f,oVV
ores. 26S between 1000 and z,uoV, !
While 90 are between $40 and l,oV0
ores. In other words. S,O6g leasers {
re small stockmen having almost
,000, 00O acres leased in the aggre-
ate ESQ leases represent the medium y
utfits with total of not quite l'-oV,-
90 acres while u are the big 1ei-
1ws with a total of 1,f56,000 acres.
The lands granted the comihon-
'ealth under the territory were .,
S9.242 acres. under the statehood aet, ;
.569.8e5 acres. of which 9,760,0lO
cres selected and 2,Ss9.427 acres re-
lain to be selected. To the credit OF /;
he common schools S.464,000 acres
lust be placed, to water reservoirs,
10000 acres. the university S1l.2f5
cres besides 1922 acres of saline
Inds, the State college. 250,lb4
ores, the railroad bond indebtedness
900, 600 acres while the other insti- '
ltions have from 100000 acres down 9
, $4,000 acres each. or the common
.hool lands. 2,140,171 acres remain
be selected: of the railroad bona
nds, 202,S62 acres, the Military IN j
itute, 35,19S acres state college,
1875 acres: Normal schools. i,oy2 9
res; School Of Mines, 2,67s acres
lille of the other institutions me u
nds have been practically selected Z