Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1917-01-26
PLAIN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

ton of our state lands there viii be
general agreement ~ Ia the wisdom
of the state land authorities in hast
ening selection of the lands during
the five years since the final grant
of lands was given with statehood.
The report of Land Commissioner
Eryicn. just published. shows that
practically all of the total grants of
l2.l5O.OuO acres. have been selected.
The state has title To more than H.
000.OUO acre. and the rest i pro-
tecicd hy tentative selections which
await only on federal -urrey, To
realize just how fortunate 1t j. that
the stale elections have been per.
iectcd ON ha- only 10 read the re-
ports from the var"u, United States
land offices in New Mexico which
show over 5000 filing since the first
of January. withdrawing more than
5000, 600 acres under the new 64U-
acre homestead art of the best public
domain remaining IN New Mexico.
This rate Of Filings must be only par
tally maintained to eyhau>e the pub
liz domain in This state during 1917.
There j. strong probability that the
coming ~prin. will see the rush for
UiO-arrc homr-trad- increase rather
than diminish.
The state land selection board
foresaw some further extension of
the homestead right. lts policy was
10 make selections ~ rapidly ~ pos
,iIle and il, administrative officer.
the state land commissioner has put
IN five wears of uninterrupted work
an guiding the making of these -cler-
mons. \ comparison with Arizona
shows what might have been New
Mexico'- position. \ more deliberate
SELECTION policy IN Arizona has left |
thd; state confronting the horde Of |
64O-acrr homesteadcr, with less than /
one-third Of her land, selected. The
state j. in rough and tumble |
scramble with future citizens for the /
best land remaining.
The grants to New Mexico aud
Arizona were practically the same.
New Mexico not only ha- selected
her lands. but during 1916 more than
two-thrd> of the grants were under
income producing lease and the total I
income for the year from the state
lands was about S1i0.00G. q
Arizona's income from state lands
wa- les than one-ihird that amornt
and that state ha, abandoned ,l~
former policy and began installing "a
system some six month, ago which
l. very largely modelled nfte' the New
Mexico public land code. adopted by
the state legislature of 1912.
Various forms Of criticism have
been lcvelcd at the New Mexico state
land office, more recent ones being
clearly political attacks. The state
mcnt contained in Governor de
Baca'~ message to the legislature,
hat the operating cost of the state
and office j. more than - per cent
If the income, appears 10 have been
4 deliberate mi--tatemeni of fact by I
hose who prepared or advised the I
governor in preparation of the mes e
,age, since the land commits sioner'S
'eport was submitted to Governor
Mcdonald in December. and must
nave been before them. This report
shows that the operating cost Of the
,ffice was about ~ per cent for
1916; triiling difference of about
our per cent. There have been other
criticisms, some founded on mis- =,
statement of facts, others on petty j
letails of administration. The fact
:, however, that the present state
and code furnished broad. liberal,
constructive policy for the operation b
IF the state land office and that poll @
cy has been followed out faithfully
md with interchangeable work in the
intricate details of administration.
A reading Of the land commissioners :