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

reservoir projects such as the Roose- welt dam or by pumping, through the construction of great power projects on the Colorado river? You have seen a wonderful transition from desert to farm in this valley. You have seen the desert gradually recede the cultivated acres extended to limits never dreamed of.
 Before the passage of the land bill it was the policy to recognize dummy entry men, because the then existing law prohibited leasing state lands in large holdings.
 Some months ago I discovered that the state land department was can ceiling these dummy leases and con- solidating large blocks of land in the names of the big outfits who had made use of the dummies. protest ed against this practice at a meeting of the land board, and as a result, the commissioner was for the time being directed to make no more such leases, although by that time about million acres had passed into the hand of these big outfits by this method. I then endeavored to secure the can cellation of these second leases, that the dummy leases might mature in their regular order, and the tracts thus tied up then be put up for open competition. As a matter of fact, these leases had been going as mat ter of course to the old holders with out competition usually at Sc an acre or only about one per cent on the states minimum valuation of $500 per acre.
 That condition in the land depart ment had become intolerable, and the people of the state were demanding relief was fact recognized by three members of the land board, MT Simms candidate for governor, not included, who on May 3rd, 1920 demanded the resignation of Land Commissioner w. A. Moeur in the following letter. Mark we'll the language they use, the reasons they give for their action and contrast it with their present at titude:
 STATE LAND DEPARTMENT
 Phoenix, Arizona, May 3,1920 Hon. w. A. Moeur, CONFIDENTIAL State Land Commissioner,
 Phoenix, Arizona.
 Dear Sir;
 This communication is for you alone.
 The dissatisfaction throughout the state and the numerous complaints coming daily to each of the under signed against the administration of the state land department, has been borne patiently by each of us, with the daily hope of overcoming sad complaints. That hope is now a banded and the complaints against the land department and the actions of some of your subordinates within the last few weeks, have rendered 1t impossible for us to postpone any longer this letter which is addressed to you with the utmost courtesy That courtesy which is due to you can not permit us to refrain from an nouncing that present conditions as to the administration of the land de- partment can no longer be condoned.
 We realize that your condition Of health has caused you to leave to others in the service many things which would have received your offlc- ial attention had your strength enabl- ed you to give itsuch attention. Our association with you and your sub ordinates have made it plainer day by day the necessity of this letter. We appreciate your worth as citizen and an official, but we know that your physical conditions has prevented you from giving that close attention which your official station requires, in supervising the acts of your most responsible subordinates.
 The undersigned have consulted at numerous times together, with the hope that the deplorable conditions existing inthe land department might be overcome without the necessity of the request which we now make, but that hope has now been totally over come. The state land commissioner holds merely at the desire of the ap- pointing power, to wit, the state land department, composed of the five stae officers mentioned in the public land code. A change can be made at any moment.
 From the foregoing you will under stand the necessity now existing,