§ 37. Collection, forfeiture and cancellation of purchase-money bonds. The commissioner of general services may direct the comptroller to sue upon any bond heretofore received by the office of general services or its predecessors including the state engineer, the commissioner of transportation or the secretary of state on the sale of unappropriated state lands, if any payment stipulated in such bond shall remain due one year, or the commissioner may direct the sale of the land for the payment of which such bond was given, and in case of such sale, all previous payments made on account of such land shall be forfeited to the people of the state, and the bonds may be delivered up and cancelled on the surrender of the certificates of sale.