The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-11-02
The Deposit Fund Criticism.

The other criticism which has been
directed against the land department
during Mr.. Ervien's administration.
has arisen very recently, and is due
TO q condition over which he has had
no control. In order 10 insure good
faith on the part OF persons applying
for selections OF state lands for pur-
chase, the necessity for a deposit 10
insure performance OF the contract.
when the selection had been approved
By the federal government. was OBJ
vious. The approval OF state land So
lections In the department Of the in
terror at Washington during the pres
ent administration has been painfully
slow; so slow at times as to give an
impression of deliberate delay and
possible obstruction. Because OF these
delays In approval of selections, the
deposits BY intending purchasers have
run up " nearly $4,000. These
funds are not state funds. They are
the property Of the prospective pur.
chaseYs and are held by the Land
Commissioner In the same way that u
certified check Is held by an archi.
tect from a contractor bidding on q
piece Of construction. They are trust
funds which the land commissioner
has no other power than merely to
keep In safety. This has been done
by depositing these funds in banks all
over the state which have been will
ing to make the necessary surety
bonds to properly protect the deposits.
Not all banks have been willing TO
take In these funds since the period
Of their holding is uncertain, depend
ing entirely on the time when the In.
terror department may see tit 10 ap.
, prove the states selections of land ap-
piled for.
The attorney general OF the state
er has no option but to keep these
funds Just as he is now keeping them.
and the United States attorney for
New Mexico. in a recent written opin-
ion 10 the attorney general at Wash.
ington held with the attorney general
OF the state. Thus there has been no
option OF the part OF the land commits
HioiiCI bul W Noullllut TIE IullS,
properly secured. as they have always
been held.
This criticism will very soon be re-
moved through the operation OF the
land department system. which dis.
poses OF the lands as quickly as So.
l%ections are approved. The amount
row held In trust will diminish rapid.
ly from this time on, and cannot reach
any important total again.
In the meantime the wisdom OF the
deposit requirement has been proven
over and over again, Quite recently
The land commissioned paid into the
state treasury the sum OF sl2.o 900,
realized from the forfeit OF a single
deposit. in a contract wherein the in.
tending purchaser failed to complete
the purchase when the selection an.
piled for had been approved and had
been rendered to him for final pur.
chase. A considerable number OF
smaller forfeitures have been turned
into the state treasury, making In the
aggregate an Imposing total
A Working Business Mans Job.
The Job OF administering New Mex,
ico's public lands is no undertaking
for a man who cares for an easy life.
Il is a working business mans Job
and requires close and constant al.
iention year In and year out. The de.
tail handled through the department
is enormous, Its banking transactions
alone are far larger month by month
than the total transactions OF most
small banks. Its field Is the whole
state, and the number OF It's clients
IL increasing BY leaps and bounds, as
Is indicated by the enormous In.
creases In the revenues.
Land Commissioner Ervien has had
a thorough schooling In the work OF
the department. He has given II his
entire and undivided attention since
he took the position. He brought to
Il the Judgment and ability OF q man
OF unusual grasp Of large affairs, CON.
bined with the unusual quality OF
grasp OF detail. He has added 10 th.s
equipment a knowledge OF the state
lands and OF the state as a whole that
Is profound. and an understanding of
the needs OF the department and OF
the state that Is comprehensive. He
was one Of the best equipped men in
the state for the job when he took It
nearly ten years ago. and In the In.
~tervenins years he has acquired q
knowledge and an experience which
any man. no matter what his ability,
would require al equal time 40