The St. Johns herald., 1920-10-07

Kindly give the enclosed letter space in your paper:
 September 27, 1920.
 Thomas E.. Campbell, Esquire.
 "State House, Phoenix, Arizona.
 Sir: In political speech delivered by you at Tucson on the evening of the 23rd day of September, you made cer- tain statements that are so far re- moved from the truth that feel, that in justice to myself, I should call your attention to the misstatement of facts, relative to my acts as state land com missioner of the State of Arizona.
 For the purpose of this letter, and in order that may not appear discour- teous in the language by me used, have chosen the word "misstatement'' when in my opinion shorter word would better express the degree of in- discretion of which you have been in dicted I do believe, however, that l am justified in saying that you, either Intentionally misstated the facts, or that your gross ignorance of the affairs of the office of state land commission is such as to entitle you to the sympathy of those who heard yon.
 Tn delivering the speech herein re- ferred to, you told your hearers that 'seventy-fve cattle outfits controlled 92 per cent of the entire lands granted to the state, or to use your own figures, seventy-five cattle outfits controlled 92 per cent of 10, 500, 900 or 2, 560. coo acres of state laud, when, as matter of fact the total number of acres of state lands leased and sold to date does not exceed ! 1000, 900 acres. In other words. ac- cording to your statement seventy-five cattle men control by lease and pur- chase several million acres more land than have yet been disposed of by the state.
 ''You also said that state lands were leased by the commissioner at 3 cents per acre, or the paltry sum of $150, GOO l per annum. In arriving at this conclu- sion, if you had only resorted to sim pie method of mathematics, you would | have determined that the g, 56O, 900 acres claimed by you to have been leased to cattle men at per cent per acre would provide a revenue of | $286, 600, or S136, 900 more than the amount claimed by you to be the total rox,on11o froyoo oil Cfa fo londc
 ''You further said to the people of | Tucson that much of this land had been by the commissioner at $3 per acre and sold at that price. Now, MT. Campbell, 1 ask you in all seriousness, is it not fact that nowhere in the pub lie land code is there to be found a pro- vision of law whereby the land commis- sioner is charged with the duty of, or given the authority to fix the sale value of state lands? Is it not fact that during your incumbency of the state land department, the land commissioner has in no case attempted to assume the authority to makr these appraisements? Is it not fact, Mir. Campbell, that the law charges the state land department, of which you are member and chair man, with this responsibility? Is it not a fact that the sale value of grazing state lands is fixed by you as member and chairman of the state land depart ment? Is it not fact that the records do not disclose single instance where you raised an objection to the sale value placed upon the states grazing lands by the state land department, of which you are member?
 ''You further stated that ''the land commissioner has selected large tracts of land so located as to suit the con- venience of the stockraiser.' To this indictment plead guilty. You failed to tell your audience, however, that this was done for the purpose of acquiring for the state, lands most desired, and thereby insuring revenue from the same at all times.
 ''You farther stated that there are large tracts of land that could be se- lected that are fitted for farming If this be true, then I am going to plead ignorance as to their location In the hope that I have overlooked lands of this character in the investigation of practically every township and subdivis- ion thereof within the boundaries of the state, by myself and field men, most earnestly request that you advise me as