Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-01-26
Excellent Report Issued
BY Commissioner ErveiD

Santa Fe, N. NJ, January "a
Gross receipts of the New Mexico
State Land Department for the fiscal
two-year period ended November 30,
1916, were 81 ,992, 2,S6O46, an increase
over the gross receipts of the pre-
ceeding two-year period of $717,-
619.97, and within less than $3,000,
600 of the total amount collected
during the previous fifteen years
since the establishment of the State
Land Office. Practically the whole of
the States vast grant of 12,159,0G0
acres, the gift of Congress for the
support of common schools, higher
educational institutions and charit-
able, penal and other public institu-
tions and enterprises, has been Sc
lected and title vested in the state.
More than seven million acres are
under income producing lease and
approximately 100000 acres have
been sold or contracted for sale. 1t
is estimated that the income for the
present fiscal year will reach
81 100000, or in excess of the total
amount collected through txation,
exclusively for state purposes.
These and other facts of equal in
terest showing the rapid and enor-
nous growth of the value of
New Mexico's vast land holdings, and
of the income derived and to be de-
rived thercfrom, are contained in the
sixteenth and seventeenth annual re-
ports of the state land office, Just is
sued i'm printed form by Land Com
missioner Robert P. Ervien. The
| land commissioner finds the surpris-
ing increase in demand for state land
for purchase and lease, the advancing
rates of rental and larger prices paid
for lands sold at public auction to be
due to the combined influences of
southwestern development, range re-
striction, land hunger, successful
operation of the state land code en-
acted by the Legislature of 1912, and
to the publicity campaign which has
been and is being carried out by the
State Publicity Bureau, operated in
connection with the land Office,
through which, he says, it has been
possible to bring stat Gland resources
and advantages before a much larger
audience, backed by statistical infor-
nation heretofore unavailable.
1t has been understood in a general
way that demand for state land was
| increasing, that the state land Office
for the past four years has been the
busiest Office in the state government
and that the work of selection of the
states grants and lieu lands-lands
| permitted to be selected in exchange
or lieu of school sections lost by
entry or withdrawal prior to the
dates of the states grants-was be-
ing pushed by skilled land surveyors
and locating agents. The depart
ments report for the first and second
fiscal years of statehood distanced al
former reports in magnitude of the
figures. But it has required the re-
port just published to make clear
how valuable is the states gift OF
lands from the Federal Government
and how valuable it is likely to be
come in maintaining educational and
other state institutions and in lifting
taxation from the people.
Selections Completed Just in Time
The report shows that of the
12,159,4 ,437.69 acres granted to New
Mexico under the Congressional acts
of 1898 and 1910, total of 11,049,-
5O007 acres have been selected anC
title thereto passed to the state. Oh
the small acreage remaining to be
selected practically all is protected by
tentative selections which awaU
either the completion Of Federal lane
surveys, or determination as to char
acter of land applied for, The i'm
portance of the completion Of these
selections, representing five years ot
constant work by the State Lane
Board and the land commissioner, as
selecting agent, is emphasized b!
current reports from the six Unite,
States land Offices in New Mexico
which show that in tho first 10 day
of this month more than 5000 filings
have been made by homcseekcrs OF
the public domain in this state undo
the G1O-acrc stock-raising homestead
law, with a total withdrawal of NOR
than 100000 acres. There remain
in New Mexico only 100000 acre
of surveyed and 100000 acres o
unsurveyed public domain