Arizona republican., 1915-03-06
Public Land Legislation


 By far the most important matter before the legislature is the bill give the compre hensve public land code and provide for the ad minstration of the lands granted to the state in the enabling act, well as the school and unlver sitv lands which have been under the control of the territory. If this land code bill the general appro pration bill, a simple cean-cut prohibition bill and a just and definite mine taxing bill were passed, something constructive would really have been ac- oomplshed by the present legislature
 At present the unfortunate combinations which have been formed in the legislature have resulted in blocking practically all important construction legislation and we believe the time has when the members of the legislature should realize that they are there as public servants and that they should quit for all the selfish pulling and hauling which has been going either for their particular political clique the particular industry which they favor the section from which they What want is clean-cut. business like legislation that the interest of all the peo- pie simple laws that all the people can understand.
 The people of the whole state are naturally vally interested in the administration of the nearly eight million acres of lands which the birth right of this and which if properly handled should eventually immensely decrease the burden of taxation within the state
 The people of this county are Vltaily interested in securing d just land code. not only because of their general interest the welfare of the state but from the fact there within this county nearly 16000 of school land, of which over 11.Ooo are within the reclamation project, and that if some way is devised by which title be obtained these lands in units of less than 16o acres, they will receive water from the Roose welt reservoir
 Schp md has beer for many years. and it is time that it was urally invoved-the interest of the state and the interest of the occupant. We not of those who believe that the occupants of these lands should absorb all of their value of the s25 which the state receive under the enabling act, but do believe that the occupants of these lands, especially where they have created homes upon them. should receive the fullest compensation for their improvements. In some cases this may absorb the value of the land above the s25. but in many cases it will not; and believe that in the sale of these lands the interest of all the people of the state should be safeguarded by having such pro- visions in will provide for the fullest competition the sale of these lands
 The bill before the legislature which seems to have the chance of passage and which there a probability of bringing into proper shape is No 127 which might be classed compromise measure. There is feature of this bill. however, which certainly needs amending this being in ton S2 of the bill where it provides that in the sale of school lands the Improvements shall be paid for as follows Ten per cent the day of the sale and the balance within twenty-four hours Such a provision, believe, would shut out compet- tion. and if this were changed to provide that the Improvements should be paid for within either thirty sixty days, competition would be secured and better prices would be obtained for the land, and the time the occupant, who had his home on the property, would be in more favorable posi- ton than any otber man to secure the property. is by the provisions of the bill of being able to purchase the land easy payments cover ing a period of thrty-eght years with interest at but per cent
 No one believes strongly than The Re- publican in a policy of wise conservation of the public lands of this state. but believe that that policy should go hand in hand with system of intelligent development by which the lands may, under proper safeguards be brought promptly as possible into private ownership in small tracts,