Weekly journal-miner., 1915-06-23

| ling and recriminations, the land bill passed the house this afternoon by the "A votes necessary to carry the measure with the emergency clause. The opponents of the bill which em- braces many vicious features, had ' figured that they had enough votes to kill t, but in the closing hours Richardson wobbled and finally fell and Merrill also dropped by the way side Had either stood, the bill would have died. Johns, who led the fight against it, and Leeper were among those who answered nay while Orthel was absent at Prescott. Outside of its socialistic features, Johns chief objection to the measure was the sec ton which jeopardizes the water rights of the farmers of the Verde valley. Another joker will have the effect of crippling the customary privileges of the mining prospector.
 The bill, however. should please the governor and the eX-chairman of the defunct land commission in that it provides fat jobs with good salaries and travelling expenses up to $6,0O0 . year
 The commissioner receives $3000, the deputy $2,400. the chief clerk | $2,4O0, the chief draftsman Sl,S00 a year. stcnographcrs $l00 per month, and it also provides for two apprais- CTS at $50 per month and expenses, while in the employ of the state.
 It is a wise provision that reads: In the employ of the state. and nee cssary expenses while engaged in the performance of their duties"
 By judicious and careful manage mcnt. this may become a joyous and continuous performance. The state of course, foots the bill.
 Exclusive of school lands under the Salt or Colorado river projects, there will not, in the near future, be any great demand for the land belonging to the state or to state institutions, No one will want to buy it.
 In the first place. the price is away beyond reason, and other restrictions as to acreage that can be sold to an individual or corporation for either agricultural or grazing purposes is so small that so long as other lands with in the state can be secured for less money and on better terms, so long will the states land go begging.
 Whenevcr the state lands, upon which there arc improvements, the ap- praised value of which. in the judg- mcnt of the commissioner, is so great as to prevent competitive bidding, then the commissioner may sell such l improvements on the installment plan, five years time per cent in tcrcst. In other words the commis- sioner may advance the cash out of the general fund to pay for such i'm provcments, to the man that sells and gives the purchaser five years in which to pay it back to the state.
 Some of the school lands arc highly improved, and under this provision, there may be very apprcciablc drain from the general fund. Of course, no one cares much. except the taxpayer and all he has to do, really, is to see to it that the political crucc of oil and measure of meal be kept full.
 The methods governing ill other states. namely the purchaser paying i for all improvements within 30 days would be so simple and direct that it would be out of place. It would be bad form, and an amendment along this line was drowned upon and thrown into the vast basket.
 The commissioner has the power to investigate and experiment, with sail and water and to demonstrate" the adaptabilty of the lands for grazing and agricultural purposes. and to make investigation of reclamation projects for the discovery and dcvcl- opmcnt of subtcrranean water, or the diversion of running streams, either in cooperation with the Federal gov crnment or by the state independent ly and he has the authority and it shall be his duty to make and file water locations and appropriations, and to locate dam sites, reservoir sites. and power sites, and to do in this connection for the state, all that is required of a private citizen. under the Federal law, to acquire title to such appropriations and locations and the cost and expenses incurred shall be paid out of the state land classifi- cation fund, but it is thoughtfully pro- vidcd that such expense shall never exceed the total amount of the said fund.
 In the preceding paragraph is the joker which hits the Verde valley.
 This vicious provision will also tend to stihe all individual enterprises