The weekly clarion., 1876-01-19
state Lands

EDrroRs CLARION: notice an article in
,.o,,r naDer. I5th inst. on Estate Lands, what
shall we do with them 2" in which the
writer expresses the opinion that the many
thousand acres of land held by the state
should be disposed OF ia some manner py
the state. and these lands should be made
ro hear fair proportion OF che revenues Of
the government. He gives no remedy, but
apparently calls upon the Legislature To
make some disposition of same.
/ will attempt to give a remedy Ior TINS
evil: / MANY, very many, of these lands
have been and are now assessed from 100 to
l 900 DER cent OF more value than their
real value. The wild and unimprOved lands
of the State having deprecated IN value so
much that the owners have partially, and,
in some instances, wholly, neglected 10 loon
after their proper assessment
The abatement authorizing the owners
of these lands (held by the State) to pay
taxes OF 1874 in lieu aud IN full payment OF
all former tdIes due, have induced many TO
come forward and redeem by paying taxes
for that year, and is now large revenue to
the State. But / find, in many Instances,
those lands are paying taxes amounting
from tlcenty tUe per cent. 10 one huH0fed per
cent on the real value of the same, estimat-
ing their value to be at what they would
bring If offered for sale. As an evidence OF
the truth Of what 1 assert, will propose TO
furnish lands TO purchasers on the follow
ing terms: II they, The purchasers, tctI pay 10
t0gethel tcith damages, t0iH for double me
qi5sOltht Of td6eS paid Hte Stute giUe Hen1 a
,CdrrdItee deed from The original Ot0her, uneH-
cum6ered. l own few acres that ! would
Ike 10 sell on these terms, and l VIII give
guarantee that not less than one million Of
acres eau be purchased on the same terms.
My proposition is based upon my own eXpe-
rience aud upon close examination OF as
sessments, and 1 totH be gJGd 10 hare IL dc-
cepted, but ii not accepted, ii must be taken
for truth, and | suggest plain remeoy,
viz:
Have the lands assessed at a fair valua-
ton and place upon them taxes that the
owners can pay with a little hope of being
reimbursed by the sale of the lands, or OF an
increase in value The owners can then
afford to pay taxes and how much better
would it be for the State to receive from
one to two and half dollars per section on
lands per annum, than to demand from $40
to 500 per section and receive nothing, and
by SO doing have the lands sold for taxes
and the title encum bered, so that 10 one
viii either purchase from the State for tax
title or from the original owncr-both titles
being clouded, and the title from the State
IN many instances amounting to treble the
value of these lands.
In some of the river counties the taxes are
cents. Add the leyees, ~ cents, To what
is known as the 10 cent Levee fund, and H.,
per cent. on value OF the lands, exclusive OF
State, county and special taxes. Now esti-
mate, for 1874,
u4O acres at 5c................. - 90
6i0 acres at 712c. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. AZ 90
GAO acres at 50, $32 OO-I SC. OF value is 90
8I28 90
For 1879:
GlO acres at jc............... 32 90
640 acres at &C., in lieu OF 71sc...... 80 60
GAO acres at s., val. S32-l 19c. on val. As 90
Amt of LeYee tax alone on one Sec
a Il, nd 4