Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1920-10-02

WILEY E. JONES,
 HARRY s. ROSS.
 Mouer refused to resign and still fills his swivel chair, backed now and sustained by the very men who de- manded his resignation.
 My contention is that these lands should be administered so as to bring the greatest possible revenue to the people of Arizona to whom they be- long, to offer the greatest opportunity to full settlement, home building and development along agricultural lines. With the invention of the gasoline en- zine and with modern pumping ma chinery it has become possible to cul- tivate lands heretofore deemed valu- able for grazing only. This sort of development not only serves to create much greater taxable wealth, and bring in much greater revenue to the people of the state who own the lands but ligewise results in greatly increas- ing the population, thing much to be desired in a state like Arizona, now so sparsely populated. ,.,
 Leased in Perpetuity for Song
 How can these lands be made to produce a large revenue for the sup port of our public schools and our university and nor al schools and for the education of your children and mine? Certainly not by tying them up into few vast estates and leasing them for a song for an indefinite period.
 My fight is to obtain for the people of this state the greatest possible re- venue from these lands, and an oppor- tunity for home building. Those who are trying to exploit this heritage of yours and to gobble it up for their own use are robbing every man, wo- man and child in the sound of my voice.
 Arizona has been heralded abroad as the land of op( Drtunity. We have boasted that young men and women could come here without any of the worlds goods and with only the strength and ambition of youth, and within a few years amass a compet ence. Are you going to put up the bars and wipe out for generation or more, these opportunities.
 When the men who answered the call to the colors and risked their lives for all of us, came back from over seas, there was considerable talk a. bout what the country was going to do for them in the way of assisting them to secure public lands capable of agricultural development. There are many such lands in Arizona, but if we tie them up in leases for an in definite period and at nominal rent al, what chance will the service man have to get his rightful share of this heritage?
 The decision of this question as to whether we, the people of Arizona, are going to allow continuation ot this vicious leasing system and there by close the door of opportunity, lies with you. The land board of Arizona consists of the governor, the secretary of the state, the treasurer, the auditor and attorney general. They appoint the land commissioner and they de- termine the land policy.
 Simms is Responsible
 Unfortunately, as your governor, have been in the minority on that board, or this vicious leasing system would have been changed ere this. My opponent for governor, now sec retary of state, who has been serving on this land board, stands for the present land leasing policy, the results of which I have described to you. With the support of the present treas urer, who is a candidate for secretary of state, and the present attorney-gen- eral, who is a candidate for reelection they have succeeded in continuing in effect this policy by which few out fits are gobbling up this rich heritage of yours, and closing the door of op- portunity to thousands of new citi- zens who are coming into this state at the same time robbing you of the riehtful revenue which you should be receiving from this source. Is it any wonder then that these big out fits all over Arizona are fighting so? The men most to blame, however, are those placed in charge of the adminis- tration of this great heritage for the benefit of you who own it and who are proving unfaithful to their trust.
 I understand that my opponent is accepting full responsibility for this land laa sinr- nolicv He could not