New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-12-07
RECEIPTS FROM
OUR STATE LAND
ABOVE MILLION
ARIZONA WITH HIDE BOUND
Policy RECEIVES ONLY
FOURTH AS MUCH AND
FAILS TO PROVIDE HOMES
FOR SETTLERS

An interesting comparison of the
policies of state land administration
as they have been worked out in
practical operation in New Mexico
and Arizona, is contained in a re-
cent editorial in the FL Paso Herald,
which is urging upon Arizona the
Importance of more liberal policy
in the leasing and sale of its lands,
to the end that development of the
state, and particularly of its live
stock industry may proceed. The
editorial, published in the Herald on
December a. follows:
100000 Acres Idle
"As recently pointed out, Arizona
has nearly 100000 acres of state
land which, under present conditions,
cannot be sold or leased. 1t is near
1y all grazing land and the consti-
tutional prohibition against sale or
lease of more than one section or
$40 acres, to any one applicant, makes
it impossible to dispose of this land
to cattleman. They cannot use one
section alone unless it happens to
they have title as owner or leasee
and in practically all such instances
they have made their purchases or
leases. This leaves great body of
land idle and without prospect of
revenue either to the state or to any
individual. 1t has been urged that
the legislature at its next session
should submit to the people of the
state constitutional amendment to
raise the purchase or leasing limit
of state lands from one to ten Sec
tions, which would permit stockmen
to buy or lease enough state land
to provide an adequate range for at
least small herd
New Mexico Holdings Larger
New Mexico has not this problem
now, but is threatened with it Under
the state constitution. there is no
prohibition against sale or leasing
of as much land as a buyer desires
While Arizona has sold but 100000
acres of state land, New Mexico has
sold 100000, largely because of the
absence of these restrictions. The
New Mexico land commission has re-
ceiycd in the past year $l.l25,0O0 from
the sale and lease of state lands,
of which 100000 came from sales
and the remainder from leases.
These and other figures may be con-
sidered authoritative. inasmuch as
they have been furnished to The
Herald by the New Mexico land Of
flee Of which Robert p. Ervicn is
commissioner. The comparisons with
Arizona are made by The Herald on
the basis of these figures and sta
tistics from the Arizona state land
department.
Income Also Is Grsater
Against New Mexico's $l,l25,00O
annual income from sales and rent
ais may be placed Arizona revenue
of $l04,425 from leases, $43,i50 from
instalments on purchases, and $89,-
$50 from interest on deferred pay
ments. The difference is marked 1t
might be argued that since New
Mexico was first to receive state
hood, its land department was soon
er engaged in disposing of state
lands and therefore has time ad-
vantage of Arizona. But on the
other hand it must be remembered
that Arizona has a marked advant-
age in being able to offer state lands
at lower price. Congress fixed the
minimum at which state lands might
be sold, at $S an acre east OF long
itude .l05 and $3 an acre west That
places about half of New Mexico
in the SIS an acre minimum class while
all of Arizona is in the SIS an acre
class. AS matter of fact, in the
sale of over $4,000 acres of state
land, the New Mexico Office received
an average price of sos an acre.
Trouble Is Threatened
New Mexico Is now threatened {
with Arizona's problem because of
we'll authenticated reports that an
agitation is under way to bring be-
lore New Mexico's next legislative
session a measure limiting sales and {
eases to maximum Of one section, 5
which is the very limitation which
Arizona now recognizes the need of {
'The argument in favor of the IL
is advanced that without
he restriction a relatively few men ,
IF means may step in and buy great +;
.racts of land as rapidly as they can
produce the money, thus acquiring i
'or themselves most of the 12,150.- S
700 acres of state land and depriving c
citizens of small means from obtain 4
ng land. |
Most Liberal Terms
"The argument is fallacious. how
.ver, as ought instantly to be ap- J
parent when one considers that the c
mall investor will have all the op- {
,ortunity he wants for the next 80 !
rears to buy New Mexico land. 1t I
S estimated by the land commission r
II that it will take 80 years to sell =
he land at the present rate. Further :
more, the small investor can buy
i section of high-minimum land, it d
will cost him a total of $500, of q
which he needs to paw. in cash at c