The Coconino sun., 1920-07-23
STATE LAND BOARD
 LOOKS INTOLEASES

The question of cancellation of re- newals of leases for state land, made
 by State Land Commissioner Mouer Tn manner objected to by certain members of the board and others in- terested, Is now before the board and was the subject of much discussion and an opinion from the attorney-gen- eral at meeting of the board on Tuesday afternoon. The meeting was not concluded and was resumed We'd nesday morning. In his opinion to the board on the matter of leases, the attorney-genera took the ground that the homesteader IS entitled to the preference in the matter of leases adjoining his home stead. In the matter of cancellation of leases, the attorney-general held that the board has not the right to cancel leases, but that cancellation must be made by court of competent jurisdic- tlon on grounds of fraud or irregular ity.
 Attorney R. E. Morrison, represent ing pr. E. B. Perrin, of Williams, who IS endeavoring to obtain leases for large acreage, took issue with the at torney-general in the matter of can cellation. Attorney Morrison holds that the land commissioner is merely the agent of the board.
 He charged that Commissioner Mou- CT acted without authority and as the result of careful deliberation to ac- complish the avoidance of the law in the matter of releasing. He said that the board had condemned the dummy lease system and that the just and manly thing to do was to take the bull by the horns in the interest of justice" and declare void the leases that were made under the condemned system.
 Dr. Perrin testified before the board in the matter of the controversy be- tween him and the Hudspeth Sheep company over leases awarded the sheep company.
 Promises of Leases.
 He referred to promises of leases made to him by the commissioner, which leases were afterwards made to Thomas Pollock, one of the wealth. | jest men in Arizona. He said that he had offered S10,000 for a section of land at Sunrise Spring, the improve ment on the land being appraised at present at $2700, but the commission CT had refused his offer.
 It was brought out at the hearing that some of the land leased by Davis | of the Hudspeth company at cents an acre had been converted into cotton land and cotton is now being raised on it. Davis, who had obtained the land on renewal before the expiration of the old lease, claimed that the land had been re-appraised at the time at the same valuation as before.
 Governor Campbell asked if the character of the land had not been changed in the meantime and Davis countered by inquiring if a man should be taxed for his own improvements.
 Leon s. Jacobs, appeared for Mrs. Lydia s. Fike, of near Naco, home steader of twenty-five years, who has made application to lease land adjoin- ing her homestead. Mrs. Fike conducts a dairy business, supplying about one half the milk used in Bisbee. Atom ney Jacobs offered to pay 8 cents an acre more than the appraised rental of the land or to purchase the land from the state at $1 an acre more than the appraised value.
 He quoted from the attorney -gener- als opinion to show that the home- steader should be given preference in the matter of leasing adjoining lands. Phoenix Gazette.