Arizona republican., 1920-09-15
GOVERNOR CHARGES LAND BOARD ATTEMPT ID PASS THE BUCK
ear-Combat Between Dr.
 E. B. Perrin and Attorney Aids In Meeting Commis- sion Meeting Lively One

With an attempt to do battle com ing in the midst of the session, and with a definite charge by Gov. Thomas E. Campbell that the state land board has attempted to pass the buck in the adjudication of disputed land claims by accepting a set of resolu- tions presented by Mitt Simms, sec retary of state, a special meeting of the state land board yesterday morn ing was described later as perhaps the liveliest that has occurred in the state house in weeks. The resolution pre- sented by Simms provided that no ac- tion be taken in land cases now pend ing before the board with reference to the method of cancellation of existing leases and the issuing of others until the courts have decided a case between Dr. E. E. Perrin and the HudSpeth Sheep company, and the near combat ants were Dr. Perrin and Fen Hildreth, an attorney.
 The special meeting of the land board was called yesterday to decide definitely concerning the action to be taken by the land commission in re- leasing lands in cases where the leases had been cancelled prior to the time of the expiration of the original lease. When the question came up for dis cussion Simms introduced a resolution providing in effect that the matter should be held in abeyance until the courts had acted The resolution fol- lows:
 Whereas. the state land comission- CT. under the authority vested in him by section 37 of the public land code and chapter 166, session laws of 1919 (House bill No. 6O), as interpreted by said land commissioners has heretofore upon the application of different les sees cancelled said leases before the expiration of the lease cancelled and issued new leases in lieu thereof. and
 Whereas, the legality of the commits sioners action in cancelling leases be- fore the expiration thereof and the is- suance of the new leases for the same land has been questioned, and
 Whereas, there is now pending the case of Perrin vs. the Hudspeth Sheep company, in which the question of the legality of new leases will be tried, and
 Whereas. the land. department has been notified that the purpose of the trial of this case is to determine the legal status of such leases.
 Therefore, be it resolved by the state land department in special session as- sembled. that no action be taken by the land department regarding the val idation or cancellation of said leases until such time as their legality has been properly presented and the mat ter fully determined by court of proper Jurisdiction, and that the at torney general be authorized to facili- tate the testing of said question in the aforesaid case and the matters there in involved.
 Dr. Perrin and the Hudspeth Sheep company are applicants for the same tract of land in Yavapai county, which has been leased heretofore by the Hudspeth Sheep company through so- called dummy" leases, or leases se- cured by others and turned over to the company to consolidate and en- large it's holdings. This procedure had it's inception, it was said yesterday, in the old land laws which permitted an individual or firm to hold only one sec ton of state land by lease.
 Governor Tells His Stand
 When the resolution was presented Simms, Jesse L. Boyce and Wiley F Jones, members of the land board witl State Treasurer Harry Ross and Gov ernor Campbell, voted in favor of It Governor Camppell cast a lone vot' against it. Ross being il1 in a hospital | In making the reason for his vote clea l afterwards, Governor Campbell said: T believe that the law is plain re | garding the methods to be pursued b. | applicants desiring to release stat ! lands. When the question of issuin, leases in lieu of leases cancelled prio ] to the time of their expiration frs came up the board expressly directe' 1 Land Commissioner Moeur not to is sue any more leases until the origina ones had run out. My position toda | is in consonance with my position tha time. and with that taken then by al | the commissioners and l still believ Y that the action taken in the May reso | lution is the proper, correct and lega