The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-04-03
GOVERNOR MAKES
PLEA FOR STATE
CONTROL OF LAND
Paper Read in Los An
geles Points Out it Is
Economical Way

Angeles. contained highly inter-
sting and important statements hat
'ere made In support Of his plan to
he congress cede the remaining
public lands to the several
iatcs In which the lands are located.
For one thing there was a highly
.gnificant comparison OF the hand
ng OF state lands In New Mexico
gainst the federal management OF
1s ifnas that have not yet been
edod, the one showing n decreasing
oHt Of management coupled with an
n0rmoua Increase In volume or
evenue the othcr showing an eve
Increasing deficit. In the governors
WIN language.
Al the time Of our admission
to statehood. ln 1914. tIe CON
Ereas granted US some public
lands and those. In connection
with others that We had previous
~ acquired. gave VA a grand to-
tai Of 1900. 900 acres OF land
that we were called upon to
manage This was a new under
taking on our part for which We
necessarily had to pay the usual
price 'ug inexperiencc. aud so %
happened hat In the first year VI
our management Of our public
lands We spent "a per cent OF
the revenues derived thercfrom.
This expense. however Mas con-
Htantly reduced Cvcrli year. 40
that Tor the fiscal ear u 1918
we managed our public lands at
u total expense Of q pee cent Of
the revenues derived ard paid in
to the state treasury ll30,-
3Gs.i3: for the fiscal year 1919
w managed ~ public lands at
"a total expense so low that there
was paid into the state treasury
ihe sum OF 81. 126.sii.5O. and We
still own ovcr 100000 acres Of
public lands.
Now. comparing tho two man
Hroments. the federal government
in tho management and admin
~Istratiou Of over $4,000, 600
acres Of land has incurred "a
steady deficit amounting tn The
aggregate 90 owe n million and
"a quarter to "a million ana a half
dollars every year New Mexico,
In handling ~. 900 600 acres %
land has secured % revenue, In
crchsing yearly. ~ from flls.-
.sl.sG. 10 1909. To 81 5es,sIl.5o
in 1873.
The demand FOR the ccding u these
lubllc lands Go the several states If
rot confined 90 the - states so vi
ally Interested Governor Larrazuiu
.hoNE, but b. widespread. The mem
adopted by the convention uf
at salt Lake Dity, last Au-
gust. chliinr upon the congress &C.
ed. the lands. has been signed 10y
he governors o. The following -
Kansas. Montana. Delaware.
Nri1pnn. oregon, Nebraska, Wyom-
ng. Oklahoma. Pennsylvania. Itah.
'olorado Nprth Dakota. Alabama.
.Vist ousin. Minnesota. South Dakota.
Missouri. Mississippi, Michigan, Idaho.
louisiana and Sew Mexico
In THESE 40 spcalicd public land
there are situated the following
federal lands I~nr"scrvod and un'
appropriated. 1-Ut1tlia acres rec
c,ass Tie. 's forrest reserves.
PARKS. etc. iIu. usJ.1tF acres making
, total 90. federal ltuus ~3tu.lai5t-
ceres. This total does NOT include
Inc Indian lands situated 900 Use o.
states aud amounting 90 "a
-t4 acres which would bring IN,
total uf public lands owned ul
CENTRALIZED hy Go, federal government
Ip 10 tia.t1l.1 IH trrvs. NrW McNict
Is usfoI Hs having l9.ll5.5at acres
In|rpsrrysd and uuHpuroprIIt'd and
t lIt.aJu acres of forest reserves
making q total of -~N.630.lit which
is 49, p,r cent 81 the states area.
large 49, Sew M,Niro is. the states
lf Wyoming Arizona Utah Idaho.
oregon. Nevada and California con
latin more federal ituu ln Arizona
DE federal hand is 20 per cent 90 the
.Iatp's area wlilc en- ltah 70 forms
per cent Nr,ada h. worst of
Co., with more than go. 900 600 acres.
rprcscnting N6is per cent OF the
area
Tho LEGAL aspects Of the issue are
into In e cumproh"nsi'" way
the assertion b. made hN Gov
larrnzolo that the federal
auds are actually the property of IN"
IN support of thiB position he
In determining the feasibility
Of the undertaking. this prvpu-
.lti0n may boz looked o. from two
points ui view principally First.
Are thcs" states entitled 90 THIS
rand at ,aw or not7 In dcterWin-
INK this question. let us first look
ut the origin. az the fountain
source from whcrcc he federal
government derived these lands,
and the objects ana purposes
that would Doe accomplished by
the government retaining IN"
ownership and control thereof.
contend that the history uf th"
public domain iu these I nltvd
states couclusivcly shows that the
federal government originally ace
uuirrd thcs, public binds for ih"
exclusive benefit OF the people
that would Ia the future settle
therein. when these iundg were
converted into states. That when
any state was created 70 of any
portion OF these lands. the tor
D. Org within the rNtcrlur bound
aries of sad state should belong
10 and hC the property ut, the
citizens residing therein. In
other words. / contend that the
federal government owns the lc-
gnl title To these lands only I'm
trust for tho benefit Of the re-
spcriiVc states. In proof of this
let us consider Cor q moment the
conditions under which these
lands were acquired by the fud
oral government
Governor Lirrazo!o then takes up
he economic side of the question and
irFucs Il show that greatest benefits
% an concerned would he derived hy
the congress Oedc tho lands iu
several states