Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-06-16

CThe following is an extract from an
article prepared by Edward Everett
Young, chairman of the New Mexico
soldier settlement board, for submits
sion to congress, asking that the re-
naming public domain be coded to
the public land states)
There is a difference between the
national domain and the public do
main of the continental United States.
The national domain is the total
area of the United States. including
land and water Tho public domain
consists of all that portion of the
United States which was not at any
time included in the thirteen original
states, with the exception of he state
of Texas, which has never been a part
of our public domain but which, of
course, is g0odly portion Of our ma
tiOnal domain.
When the thirteen original colonies
became states they came into posses
sion of every acre of land within their
old boundaries and, in addition their
title TO excess crown lands beyond
their borders was recognized. The
federal government never presumed
10 exempt or claim ownership in the
smallest bit of territory within the
bounds Of these thirteen units which
created our government and launched
the young republic on its mission of
destiny.
The public domain embraces lands
known N the United States as federal
or public lands lying in certain states,
known as federal land states, and was
acquired by the government of the
United States by treaty. conquest cess
sion by the original thirteen states.
and 0nly la 1iGnpGpI of ttt- y,tg
of congress.
History Of Public Domain.
Pack in 1884 congress appointed a
public land commission to compile
and prepare a history of our public
domain. The work was done by
Thomas Donaldson of the committee
on codification. In his report Mr.
Donaldson shows that from the origin
of the public domain, which he gives
as May 20, 1855. to June 30, 1883 a
period of about ninety eight years, the
public domain had cost the United
States $12G,428,S44 more than il
had brought in. Mr. Donaldsons
total figures are.
From the origin of the public Do
main to June 80. 1883. the cash OK
penditure on account of the same, by
the United States was $551,9S1,lG0.3
main to June 80. 1893. the net cash
receipts therefrom were $g55, 552,-
675.23
Unlike the slavery question. the
public domain policy is neither sec
tional nor political. The states di-
rectlt affected by it, up TO the present
day, extend from Michigan to the
state of Washington and from Ala
bama to California. TO remove the
question from any suspicion of poll
tics, the adminstra ton of the public
domain in detail for the last genera
tion--from 1888 to ISIS here
omitted. The statement can be truth
fully made, however, that it continues
to he a government liability. and pet-
haps.the annual deficit during the last
thirtyfive years has not fallen much
below the $I.250.000 average annual
deficit of the preceding ninety eight
years.
No Criticism of Lane.
No criticism of Franklin X Lane,
the able secretary of the interior, is
Intended in these statements. Mr..
Lane is one of our strongest, most
patriotic and useful citizens. 1t is the
. system that is wrong. The various
federal land states have endured the
injustice of the federal domain policy
for periods running from a decade to
Il century. respectively.
This policy has borne most heavily
upon the federal lands states and
more particularly the arid section of
the federal land states in the west.
The west is now to ask congress for
relief for justice, and in this humble,
today request the federal land states
crave and expect to receive the sym
pathy and patriotic support Of the
sisterhood of CONFERENCE.-The com
posing our great republic.
On July /. 1918, the interior depart
ment through the general land office,
issued an official statement of the