The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-02-13

IT flfs LE1fsLAFraE should ~. adjourn with.
oat having called upon the congress Of the
United states N q formal aud convincing
memorial, for an additional grant Of public lands,
Tor the benefit Of schools and roads. There are q
numher % men IN either house q this Legislature
who are familiar vt once with the financial needs Of
The state, and with the situation a regards the pub.
lic lands. Any one u these ucn y capable Of writ
ing a memorial 10 connress which viii carry con
eiciion with Il a. 20 the fielt Of this state 70 ask
for and receive au additional grant. not % a half
million. or a million ncres. but OF Ave million or
murr ~ the l3.0oopuO acres Of unrcservcd public
domain within New Mexico.
Il Il true thar congress. in two prior grafis,
has given this state i2,i 600 acrcs. That IS a gen.
erous gft, In number Of acres. but 10 real money
ralur, and A. compared with congressional grants
90 other states. Il Is but . paliry gift. A. compared
with ulai The United States did for cdncation IN the
Philippines, the grants Of land for schools TO this
state have been n~iRrardly. The Oklahoma grants,
the swamp land grants 90 southern state; the vast
areas of high grade agricultural land given to the
Dakcias. an were worth many times the value 81 the
two New Mexico grants.
We are confronted with The probability thar
either the permit or the federal leasing system will
be adopted a. regards ikc remaining public domain
before very long. When either Of these systems goes
into effect no morr Of the public lands will be
granted to any state for AMY purpose. IL Is true
that congress. for the best interests Of all eonccrneG
should grant an Of the remaining public domain 10
the states within WHOSE boundaries Il lies But east.
cm representative probably will not consent to
thar until q much isagcr campairn Of education has
been carried out.
In the mean time this state u entitled to further
aid from the United States. for schools and for
roads. We should feel no h~esitancy in asking con.
ercss for i've million acres for these purposes, and
W. should ask that this land be granted under such
conditions that IL may be- sold At is present day
cash value, 30 thar the full money value Of the
grants may be realized quickly and invested IN
permanent endowment funds.
The quicker Ne can get the land IN New Mex
leo, all of II. onto the tax rolls. the better on we will
be. This state j. just now realizing the imperative
Necessity Of having more property 10 tax. II n
true that there are delinquent taxes and tax dodg-
ers, but Il h very doubtful. were all Of the dclin.
quents rounded up and all of the dodgers run
down, " We would have enough annual tax revenue
10 meet our rapidly increasing needs, without care
ful ECONOMY. We often wonder why taxes are high
m New Mexico. and why we do not increase in val
uafion more rapidly. We seldom stop 90 think
that we have 1O.O00.0 600 acres of untaxed state lands,
10000 600 acres more Of untaxed forest reserves
and lS.0OO.O0O acres Of public domain, There are
3S.OO0.OO0 aeres. nearly one half Of the total area
Of the state. that cannot be- taxed for amy purpose.
u IA small wordcr that taxes ON the rest Of the land
are higher than We like.
This state will be fully justified in-making a
vigorous fight for more Of the public domain
granted under terms which viii permit It's quick
sale for cash. or on terms. and which will pat the
land quito the tax rolls.
Incidentally we rould use the revenue from an
additional i've million acres 10 mighty good adj
vanfagr ON school and road construction aud
maintenance during the next five years.