Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-01-14
THE LAND OFFICE REPORT.

The Bureau of Commercial Economics is a cor
poration located in Chicago whose function 1t IL to
make expert surveys as engineers, accountants and
as personnel advisers They knew nothing of New
Mexican affairs before coming here and entered
the State Land Office without any pre-conceved
prejudices ideas.
They were employed by the Special Revenue
Commission to make expert and impartial re-
port on the conditions they might find They have
just filed their complete report with the Revenue
Commission which has transmitted it to the gov
ernor without specific recommendations
This report is written in a completely expert
and scientific vein and INDUCES in nothing but
constructive criticism. No should take eXcep-
ton to the findings of these professional inves
tigators
The personal conduct of the employees of the
fraud dishonesty. The report confines itself to
showing how our present system would lend itself
TO fraud If any employees wished to indulge in it.
The Enabling Act requires oppraisement OF lands
"of their true value" The system followed allows
the prospective purchaser to select his own APP
praisers to fix the minimum price he shall pay.
Can anyone conceive of a method more absurd or
more open to fraud?
After reciting the provisions of law regulating
the land office, the report says 'the commissioner
is given free rein for the exercise of his judgment"
1t adds however, that in practice the functions of
the commissioner ARE distributed among the more
important employees of the office" This amounts
to a free rein being given to employees in the ex-
ercise of these vital functions of discretion. Think
OF it! the control of $35 900 of trust lands
put in the hands of clerks
The report criticizes the placing of one-half to
three-quarters of million dollars of oney in the
hands of the commissioner in various banks with
out interest. Does the public feel like continuing
such a system?
1t is rected that, out of ten western states, New
Mexico is the only (which has entrusted the
administration of its public lands to a single
official"
Bad selections of land have been made through
lack of classification of the values OF the lands
before selection. Although annual expenditure
OF $4,000 for classification was authorized by the
legislature two years ago, nothing has been done
to carry it
Applications for purchase or leasing of lands
filed received. They are only filed
after approval by. the department. None which are
disapproved filed. This opens the door for the
grossest favortism, for if prior application is
rejected in order to favor n later one all evidence
Of the favortsm is destroyed. If a prior application
is rejected, the reason for its rejection should be
a part of the records of the office to permit it,
yestigaton.
Sales and leases not limited to acreage.
No other state does this. 1t is gross discrimina-
ton against the little" man and does not produce
the greatest returns to the land funds.
The report asserts that 1.-The procedure is wide
open and there is doubt that if the employees of
the Land Office desired, they could show favortism
and could profit" The government should begin
action to take these lands away from if we are
SO indolent as to leave the procedure wide OPEN
and depend entirely upon the honesty of employees.
The people the trustees such is the present
manner of exercising trusteeshp. Will public
sentiment endure such situation?
The intolerable conditions with reference to oil
leases recounted. We will deal with these, and
other matters. later. We have touched upon only
q few of the criticisms.
Near its close the report says cit is practically
impossible to determine the present status of
lands. Even the Land Office officials cannot state
with any degree Of accuracy the number OF acres
of land selected surveyed clear listed sold or
leased."
The report is long and specific. We will have
much occasion TO refer to it in the next few weeks
1t is highly commendable that Governor Mechem
has taken a position in favor of a non partisan
board take charge of the land office and correct
its innumerable evils. Public sentiment should
heartily support him.
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