Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-02

to stand back of New Mexico in
getting the lands, TO this, they all
cheerfully agreed With that UNI
Outstanding, we went to Washing
ton and at different hearings be-
fore the joint public land commit
tees of the house and senate, these
two questions were discussed,
At the first hearing, held on Jan
uary IA, Governor Davis of Idaho,
speaking for the wnoie delegation,
presented to the committees the
memorial praying for the congress
sional appropriation of $25O,O0O,-
600 for reclamation in the west. on
the following day, in behalf OF the
western states. | presented the
claim of these states to the publlc
lands. | had no set argument. and
smoke from notes, but at the re-
quest of the committee, | later dtc-
tated my address and in typeWrlt-
ten form it was distributed to the
members of the committee to the
end that it might be inserted In the
record and made a part of II.
Government Incurs Deficit.
'Tn my presentation of my claim,
discussed the public lands as
managed by the interior depart
ment from an economic stand
point, and showed that during the
period of $40 years That the gov
ernment has been managing the
nuhlic domain consisting of over
400 900 GOO acres, the department
had incurred an annual deficit
without missing q single year OF
from S1.250, 900 to 81, 5O0,00 when
congress has had to meet ny spe-
cial appropriations. ] invited inc
members of congress to contradlc!
this statement. but they all admit
ted it was true.
"As against that management, i
pointed out that in the manage
ment of 12,000,000 acres in New
Mexico. we had conducted the pus-
I1pess at a total expense OF from
three and one-fifth to four ana
cne-half per cent of the total IN
come thereby paying into our state
treasury from $1.200,OOO in 1918
Ito Sl.S00.000 in 1919.
II further discussed TIE question
from n legal standpoint. In doing
| his [ had to combat the opinion
If Secretary Lane, who in a letter
ia the public lands committee OF
tho senate objected to the cession
of the public lands 20 the state
nrincipally on the ground that
those lands constituted a common
rronertv and a common fund ne
innging to the nation and to the
aniovment OF the proceeds of which
III no states are equally entitled.
Reviewing the history OF the
acouisition OF the public DOMAIN "
the government | referred the coiu-
mittee to the acss OF congress uh
dor which the several orlglhal
states were invited to cede lhese
lands to the federal government
wherein it was expressly declared
I,, congress that the lands so ceded
ebaIl when sufficiently settled, DC
converted into independent states
ION an eaual footing with the orig
;noI states in all respects Whatever
and sbaII he at liberty to form q
uermanent constitution and state
government | also referred them
70 the original acts of cesslon pS
Ithese various states, slgnally the
state of Virginia, wherein in the
lact Of cession itself, 1t was express.
Ilv nroyided that the land was cedeo
non the condition that 1t shoulo
he subdivided into states ana al
mitted to the union as previously
cot forth in the act of congress.
Can Manage Own Property.
"I9rom these acts of the congress
land the legislatures of the variou:
states, | declared but one true ane
llopical conclusion could be drawn
land that was that these lands were
lceded to the federal government IL
TRUST and by the federal govern
Iment accepted in trust for the ben
eft of these states, which now have
outgrown their swaddling clothes
land are able to manage their owl
property.
with reference to the public
lands in New Mexico, Colorado
Arizona, California and parts o.
Utah and Nevada. all of whicf
were acquired from Mexico in the
treaty of 1S48, I referred them K
1.-The laws of Mexico under whicf
THESE territories were permitted tt
handle the public domain as theil
cwn individual property"
Before leaving Washington GOV
ernor Larrazolo invited severa
members of congress to an in
formal dinner party at which TN
questions were again discussed
After the New Mexico executive
la - Ia-