The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-12-06
PROBLEM
WITH STATE LANDS
MAY COMFORT n. N.
An Interesting Comparison Of the
Policies Of the Administration
Is Made in q Lucid Editorial in
FL Paso Herald.

~ AntN nav pttn Ntfhtu OUT w pIeS-
tlcaI operation In New Mexico aud
Arizona. IN contained In a recent cd. |
torial In the FL Paso Herald. which Is
urging upon Arizona the importance
" a more liberal policy Ia the leasing
and sale of its state lands. to the end
that development OF the state. and
particularly of its livestock industry
proceed. The editorial. publish
ed IN the Herald on December 4. fol-l
lows:
AS recently pointed out, Arizona
has nearly 9.00O. 900 acres % state
land which. under present conditions,
cannot be sold or leased. IL Is nearly
all grazing land and the constitutional
prohibition against safe or ease Of
more than one section or $40 acres.
TO any onc applicant, makes Il i'm
possible TO dispose OF this land . cat
tiemeD- They cannot use one section
alon unless it happens TO lie trlb-
utary to other lands In which they
have title az owner or lessee and In
practically all such n~siartrcs they
have made their purchases or leases
This leaves a great body OF land idle
and without prospect Of revenue
either to the state or 20 any individual
II has been urged that the Legislature
at lis next session should submit 80
the people OF the state a constttu-
tional amendment to raise the pur-
chase or leasing limit Of state lands
from one to ten sections. which
would permit sfockmen to buy or
lease enough state land to provide an
aLl..rNuHa raNw. FuF - las "A small
herd.
New Mexico has not this problem
now. but Is threatened with H. Under
the state constitution there Is no pro-
hibition against sale or leasing OF a.
much land as "A buyer desires. While
Arizona has sold but 500, $50 acres -
state land. New Mexico has sold L.
100, goo. largely because OF the alb
sence of these restrictions. The New
Mexi.o land commission has received
In the past year s1.125.0oO from the
sale and lease OF state lands, Of which
500. 600 came from sales and the re-
maindcr from leases. These and othc
figures may be considered authorla-
inasmuch ~ they have bcen
furnished to The Herald by The New
Mexico land office Of which Robert T.
Er,icn is commissioner. The com
Parsons with Arizona are made oy
The Herald on the basis Of these fig
ures and statistics from the Arizona
state land department.
Against New MeNicu's il,ls5.00O
annual income from sales and rentals
may be placed Arizona rcvcnuc 81
tl04i .5 from leases. $3.50 from in
stalmrnts on purchases. and fs9 s6'
from nicres: on deferred payments
The difference Is marked. II might
be argued that since New MsAiCo wa-
first 90 receive statehood, It's LAM de-
I].irtn."ut was M engaged in d.
posing Of state lands and therefore
has a time advuntagU Of Arizona. Bur
on the other hand Il must be re-
mcmbered that Arizona has q marked
advantage In being able 10 offer skate
lands al a lower price Congress fixed
the minimum Al which state lands
might he sold. ~ s. an acre east OF
longitude los and 50 an acre west
That places about half OF New Mexico
IN the s. an acre minimum class wh!la
al % Arizona is In the 50 an acre
claS A. a matter u fact. IN the safe
VI wv H"N.'NN ANAfN VI NAANf W -"
New Mexico offic" received an aver
age price Of SOS an acre.
Sew Mexico Is now threatened
with Ari1ona's problem because ~
well authenticated reports that an ag,.
tatiun Is under way 20 bring before
New MeNico's next legislative sossipA
a measure" limiting sales aud lease
IN maximum OF one section. which r.
tn. very limitation which Arizona %
recognizes the nc.r ~ abOllshing
THE argument m favor OF the lin
itatiuu ~ advanced that without IN"
r"-trlctiou % 'clitiycly few men OF
means u.iy step In and buy great
tracts ~ land as rapidly AZ they can
pcoduc. the money nus acquiring for
themselves most ~ the l2lbO,0Hh
Of state land and depriving citi-
1eus Of small means from obtatning
land
THE argument is fdIlpciouS how
ever as ought instantly L. be apparent
when one considers that the small tn
weston wiu hay an he opportunity
he wants Tor the next go years 10 buy
Sew Mexico land Il iS estimated Boz
the land commissioner thai u VIII
take so wears Co sell tine land dt the
present rate Furthermore. the small
investor .au buy nov for the terms
were fixed with his financial ahih 3
Iu mind n h. wauts 90 buy a section
OF high-minimum land. n will cost
hom a total 81 $1,000 - which no
needs 10 pay .u cash "a time OF pui
base but $50 Ito then has 80 years
tU nav the balance tH he rate 90 Nlpl