Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-12-01
PUT HANDLING
OF STATE LANDS
UNDER ONE BOARD
Continued from Page one.)

CONTINUED from Page One.)
oitions on the administration OF
the funds they created. The fun
da,nental purpose for making these
grants was to assist in the endow-
ment of educational, penal, reform
atory and other institutions IN New
Mexico and was a continuation oil
policy long ago adopted by tp-
federal government in other state.
Bencficiaries First.
7 while the administrators of
this great trust must give due
weight ~ considerations of how the
disposal of land is to affect the
Fbusiness and economic interests OF
Ols' people, their controlling gulde
in that administration should, we
are convinced, always be the pest
int. .tsts of the beneficiaries of the
trust for which the state is acting
as trustee. This point, we believe
has not been constantly enough
borne in mind by those entrusted
with the selection. Administrations
and disposal of these lands
The commission voices It's be-
lief that this situation has been
due to the fact that there has been
no coordination between the ad-
ministration of the lands granted
for specific purposes and that ~
the institutions for the support OF
which the grants were made, IN
any other line of business, such a
lack Of coordination would UNI
doubtedly lead to inharmonious
and inefficient results"
In preparing its report the COM
mission made a careful study OF
the present condition of the land
office, not as an audit but as a
survey of the whole situation. The
following statement is based upon
The report of the men who made
the examination:
"Tho organization of the land of
flee consists of the commissioner,
assistant commissioner, eight men
employees and six women employees
At present, the work Is so arranged
that all the office work is under
the direct supervision of Mr.. Grlf-
fin, tie chief clerk, and the as
siglant commissioner, Captain Null
Ter, very largely exercises the func-
tiuns that should be exercised by
The commissioner; the latter Is
away great deal of the time ana
practically no questions are put up
to him for decision.
How Work Is Divided.
I'm general, 1t may be said that
selections are under the superVls-
ion of Captain Muller and MIR. Grit-
fin oil leases under Mr.. Barker,
agricultural and grazing leases un-
der Mr.. Paul, sales of land under
Mr.. March, and that each OF THESE
employees acts to a large extent on
his own initiative without much OIL
any check or supervisory direction.
1.-THE office work in connection
with land matters is generaliy
handled in satisfactory manner
although there are some detalls
which should be and possibly VIII
be amended. Mfr. Ervien, the fiist
commissioner, evolved a plan re-
curing applicants for the purchase
of land to file a deposit as evidence
of good faith. The use of the tltnds
resulting from these deposits mas
caused a great deal of comment
throughout the state. This deposit,
until recently, was by law ~ per
cent of the purchase price, but un-
der the new law, lexcept Tor lands
given for the benefit of Grant ana
Santa Pc counties railroad bonds
it has been reduced to 3 per cent
LAS is we'll known this money
has all along been held IN escrow
for the depositors, and at one une
amounted to nearly three quarters
of million dollars. During the
past year or so II has been reduced
so that on october / of this year
it amounted to $317,6I5.2b, lnciud-
ing amounts deposited on oil leases
According to the statement OF the
assistant commissioner, 1t is now
the policy of the office to refund
on applications to the depositor not
only the difference between ~ ana
per cent, but also total amount
OF the deposit on condition tnat tne
applicant leases the land, except
in cases where, the application 10
for n small parcel of ground not
contiguous to other state lands. IL
this is so, 1t is a good policy ana
should be pursued.
No Interest Received.
ct is certainly a fact that even
though the office may now be
making refunds on these escrow
deposits, the bankers and perhaps
others have profited through the
use of this money in the past
There is no reason why the banks
should not now be required to pay
interest on these funds. undoubt-
eddy good plan would be to re-
fund the total amount and take
surety bonds in place OF the de-
posits. 1t is well known that the
land office itself has not collected
interest on this escrow fund. II is
now stated by the land office that
the office should have collected m
terest and returned it to the DE.
positors. 1t. is certain that the fact
that interest was not collected on
the funds has caused freflection
upon the commissioner; the reflec-
lions being that the banks We're
paying him interest or that he was
profiting politically as result
tharaof There is no doubt in the