The Clayton news. (Clayton, N.M.) 19??-1954, 1917-09-29
SMITH AND ERRETT WNDFEST At new
HOME INTERESTS LARGE AUDIENCE OF CITIZENS

Ine OIlll DiAdll NOASN ~ NAAN
state Institution" commonly known as
the state Land Office, was heard in
our midst last evening for the first
time in the history of our county
when the wind blew from Santa Fe
and furnished Mr.. II. II. Errett, our
County School superintendent with
a ready made rebuttal of the issues
raised by state Senator q. c. Smith
about the said institution.
The issue was discussed in the form
OF debate at the New Home school
house before an appreciative audience
Ms. A. James Mcdonald, a SOCIALIST
.s referee The affair grew out OF
the fact that smith. for several years
hast has been flaying the Republican
party for the manner in which theN
have been conducting the state lana
office of New Mexico{and protectins
the individual who is commissioner
OF the same. said commissio ner being
II. T. T. Ervein. Of anita Fe There was
no stated question for the men 20 debate
eNccpt that Mr. Smith was to nave
forty-five minutes in whch TO lay OUT
his proposed methods for the sale ana
lose Of state and school Lands and his
methods for the handling of the tunds
tberefrom. and to bring before the peo-
o
smoke. the reasons his proposed legis-
latton regarding said lands were not
accented as good policy in the state
legislative assembly at Santa Fe.Mr.
r,rr.tt was then to have fifty-tiVe
minutes to defend the present policies
of the state Land office and to tell
yby Mr. Smiths legislation was
failure i'm that it was not even con-
sidered Then Smith was to have
Fifteen. minutes rebuttal, followed by
five minutes rebuttal to the whole
situation by Errett.
About 1880 Mr. Smith started the dis
cussion. bringing out the fact that
other states were leasing their school
lands in limited quantities and receIN-
inp, therefrom larger amount OF lease
money per acre than does New Mexico
Hits Escrow Funds Hard Blow
He scored the republican admlnistra-
tion for allowing the state Lana Con"
missioner to handle the amount OIL
escrow money that is usually in ms pos
session without being bonded to the
state of New Mexico for the tull
amount that may be in his possession
ord under his own and no other sup
ervision, making the comparison be-
tween that office of the state and the
Government Land office in the case
Of the. Receiver Smith stated that
I'm che L. $. Land office here the
psceiver was bonded in the sum OF a
certain amount and that If the moneys
.on suspended homestead applications
amounted at any time to more 'thah
me bond of the said Receiver, theh
the said bond must be raised to cover
AN moneys in his care. Not ohlS
must he be under bond for all the
money but also the escrow money must
he deposited on or about the ehd OF
each month i'm some bank desinateu
Inv the Department Of the Interior ana
that il must draw an interest rate OF
two per cent per annum if only left In
the bank one day. He made the sub
iect very plain with example where
escrew money of the state are placed
in banking institutions without any
interest charged to them whatever
said money beira tnen loaned 10 tht
farmer kDg said banks at ten ano
tvelsF per cent interest rate,
y Great Divide Colony As Example
mith then showed that about q
n ago "A tract Of state Land OF
tut $4,000 acres was sold to one
n at the minimum price of $500 pei
te He contrasted this sale with the
in April last when the Mitchell
sture was sold TO the people pooled
the Great Divide, through the Ell
IT'S of Voleny T. Hoggartt the editor
that paper. He asked his op
llent to explain to the people whicf
Is the better asset for the county OF
lion; to have colony of l2a f"'-
es to settle in her domain and pay
higher price and build churches ant
hools and promote her welfare II
neral, or 10 allow one speculator t'
alb a large amount Of. this land a
e lowest figure possible and let liz
le perhaps for years waiting for thu
Iance to make a personal profit from
me. He put forth various reasoni
by the present land laws were no
1de for the small moneyed man bu
re originally drafted and continu'
exist only for the big cattle men o
Mexico and told the audienc'
the person who needed a hom'
had little money with which L
nase had very small chance 4
ire anything at a public land salt
this, our state, for the reason tina
~ ldom Is there piece of lan'
sale of the size desired by tn
mmon farmer the man who make
country great These tracts o
land, he pointed out, are very seldom
LA Il, lace than fhrea or four section