The Clayton news. (Clayton, N.M.) 19??-1954, 1920-12-04
THE MANAGEMENT OF
OUR SCHOOL LANDS
lAlbuquerque JOurnalJ

MItNR WIFI lilt DObhS Oh OuI Stdlt
land office. No one, in our judgment
is stealing any of the money of that
office. The Special Revenue Com
mission has been investigating the
land office books. Their report
due this week, will doubtless show
the books To be in order.
NOncthelCss we assert that the
management of the land office will
create a scandal If the facts be
come fully known to the public. We
rciterate that we believe Nelson
Field land commissioners to be an
honest man. Our impression from
his management of the office is
that he is incompetent He will now
have a chance, during his new term
of Office, to dispel this opinion held
by many citizens.
Mr.. Field admitted to The Journal
that the task of running the land
office was too great for him to
fully understand it, He admitted
that he needed to make changes in
the personnel of his office force.
but pleaded that inadequate salary
allowances did not permit him to
employ competent men.
These lands are a great public
trust, Of the most sacred charac-
the public is not aroused to the
point of frenzy over the terribly
bad faith we show as a state in ad-
ministrating this trust. That the
women Of the state, who are the
natural guardians of the we'll be-
ing of their childRen, to whom
these lands belong, do not arouse
themselves in non-partlzan way,
10 demand the proper management
of these lands, passes our c0mpre-
hension We prOnOunceS this man
agement a public outrage. viii
the women not exert themselves to
the point of finding out something
of the truth of what we assert?
They will be bewildcred by what
they learn
These lands belong to our chill
dren in perpetuIty. The state Is
their guardian. If private guard
ian acted as laXly and in as bad
faith as the state acts, he would be
promptly dismissed by the court
and suit brought against his bonds
men.
Hundreds Of thousands of dollars
is allowed to lie i'll the banks upon
which our schools draw no interest.
This, of itself is sCandalous. No
parent would permit such conduct
from a guardian.
Our land sale law is disgrace,
The buyer pays per cent down and
may pay the balance any time with
in 30 years. -Four per cent interest
is paved on the deferred amounts.
This is only an option If the land
increases i'm value, he may take IT..
If not. he may release 1t. And he
has thirty years to decide. This
law should be promptly repealed
and an investigation made of frauds
Dracticed under it, For this law, Mr..
Field has no responsibility
No one knows what Is going on
in the land office. Bicnnially, a.
short summarized report is made.
But it is made too late to be scru-
tinized before the legislature must
act The report should be large
book instead of small pamphlet
and should recite in detail the
handling of the lands. It should be
published for biennial period end
ing July 1, SO as to be III the hands
of the public by September 10.
y management of the office could
ahen be am intelligent political is
hue and public sentiment could be
fhystalized before the legislature
meets. The present plan was de-
Nised in deliberate effort To
smother publicity and TO keep the
4 people in the dark AS a result the
public seems absolutely apathetlc
about this most serious and sacred
matter.
No one knows today how much Of
our i2000,000 acres of land actual
~ has been sold, or at what price,
No one knows TO whom the balance
has been leased nor in what blocks
of acreage, nor at what rental. I'll
is an appalling situation demand
ing an organized effort by the
mothers of New Mexico to find out
about it..
II is presumed that some 9,00O,-
600 acres is unsOld. A large part Of
this is leased. Right here is our
greatest disgrace for it is leased by
private deals made between the Of
flee and the tenant. The power Of
the commissioner is plenarv TO set
any price which his whim dictates.
No guardian can lease ward 8
Experience has taught us of the
frauds and mistakes Of any other
system. Yet New Mexico tOlerates
such a system with its school
lands.
These lands should be leased al
public sale to the highest bidder, |
with a preference right in the
present holder 10 retain it at the
high bid The lands should be
classified in order To permit of the
intelligent fixing Of the minimum