The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-09-28

1AOnCl, AOA buc cdic Vi luc lIOu OuI
pine and cypress lands. and contract for
the working OF such mines as may be de-
Veloped. All these sales and leases to he
made at public auction, and contracts
awarded after due advertisement.
This plan, with the experience 1 lave
had in the past two years, appears to me
the best to be adopted, supplemented, of
course with such regulations as will Sc
cure Its safety. 1t has been objected to
because the officer in charge would oecu-
Ply position of great trust, which under
temptation, he might betraY. This we
do not regard as a danger If adequte sal
airy is provided to secure the proper man.
An inadequate salary. for such q posi-
tion, Is an Invitation to lncompeteney or
fraud, or both. Texas certainly has
abundant material for such officer among
men who have built up characters for
competency and honesty, which the
school fund, vast as it Is, could not buy.
Ii, however, this plan be not deemed
feasible, and the present general system
be adhered to, the law must be remOdeled
so as to secure its intelligent execution
and remove its many Objectionable feat
ures.
First. Some chief, with necessary cleri-
cal force, should be placed in charge of
what may be termed the "EducatlOnal
Land Bureau" and his time and talents
be devoted exclusively to this duty.
Second. The land should be classified
into agricultural, pasture, timber and
mineral. The first two classes should be
subdivided into watered and unwatered,
and minimum prices fixed upon each.
Third. All agricultural land within
reach OF the farmer should be sold only to
actual settlers, and what constitutes
"settlement" clearly defined.
| Fourth. Pasture land, If sold, to be dis
posed of at auction to the highest bidder,
reserving to occupants, for limited
time, the right to purchase at the prices
offered. combining such privileges to
| certain quantity of land.
Fifth. The first payment to be made
within thirty days instead OF ninety.
Sixth II leases are permitted, let them
| be confined to strictly pasture land, or if
| any arabic land be embraced, the lease
| expires, after notice, when the land is de-
manded for cultivation.
| Seventh. AS ii Is difficult to legislate
against the acquisition, by men with
capital, of large bodies of land, it might
be well to regulate the size of pastures,
and what extent of continuous front
shall lie allowed upon water. Gates
should be required at all roads,
established seattle trails" and forus
| of streams. Lanes or other modes OF
access to water should be required at
regular intervals on all streams.
| Eighth. Prohibit the enclosure OF any
school land until legal right has been ae-
CURED, and attach penalty to Its VIC
latiOn
time, with five per cent interest, or II Il
higher rate be retained, prohibit pay
ment of the principal until maturity of
| the obligation.
Tenth. The chief of the bureau to de.
termlne, from reports to be provided tor,
| what shall be leased and what shall be
reserved exclusively for settlement.
nha F1n.afnN nil
ing certain diameter to be sold, alter
proper advertisement, at public sale, to
| the highest bidder, at SO much per thou
sand or per stump. Or lease the pine
lands for u term OF years to responsible
pIrties, who shall be charged with the
care and protection of the same from tres
pass and fire, and shall pay to the state,
quarterly, so much per stump.
Twelfth. Reserve all minerals on or in
the school lands to the school fund, and
let no preference right OF purchase on ac-
count of occupancy extend to the min.
erals. Guarantee TO the discoverer pre-
ierred right for named time to lease or
contract for working mines for q roy
atty.
By celebrating the above ideas sug
gested, 1 think the lands can be con-
trOlled. Under the present law only
about four thousand sections of this land
have been sold, for the simple reason that
which only opened the door for fraud
and speculation. Abundant evidence has
been furnished me that combinations, in
many counties. have reaped rich returns
from these lands by holding them under
stiles" and selling at large premiums to
actual settler. This clearly demonstrates
that they are valued too low, and the
school fund defrauded, or that those who
would utilize the land are taxed for the
benefit of spectators. As evidences OF
this kind accumulated, 1 became satisfied
that the object of the law was being de-
ieated, and determined to place no more
on the market until the law was amended.
Such arbitrary acts may be Justified by
the public emergency which placed in
jeopardy such vast interests, both present
and future. but 1t may well be Questioned
If they should be tolerated after the leg
tslature has considered the points herein
presented.
1t is in the hope of attracting to this
subject the attention 1t deserves that
have adopted this method of presenting
it to the people aud to legislative aspi-
rants.
Upon the eighteenth legislature will
deyOlve the very serious responsibility of
saying whether this land shall be made
the blessing intended, or by Fostering
landed monopolies, converted into a
curse which shall blight the future of our
state.
Nothing short of communistic laws will
prevent men of capital from absorbing
the lands of their neighbors. and IL the
state parts with its ownership in these
ands except to actual settlers for home
>>teads, it parts with its power to prevent
Anonopolies. Those who advocate absO-
lutte sale and oppose the leasing of these
lands, present, SO far as l have heard,
two arguments: First, that the lessee
will not improve the property, and, Sec
ond, that such leased lands yield no rev.
enue of taxes to the county. To these
it may be answered that if leases are re.
stricted to exclusively pasture land, no
Improvement beyond fencing is 10 be ex-
pected under any circumstances, and that
the terms of lease might well require an
equivalent of the county tax to be paid
by the lessee, or the state as landlord
might pay it.
So far as our timbered lands are con-
cerned, It seems superfluous at this day
to urge the Importance of their preserva-
ton upon q deliberative body. The For
restry Bulletin, issued by the United
States census department, gives
the product OF the forests OF
the Union for the Year end
ing Nay l, 1880, at 1926, 1851 ,729, and
does not include the consumption OF tim
Der for railroad ties and fuel. From the
same source we learn that, within the
next ten years. the south must furnish
pine for the continent. When we learn
that railroads from these pineries are
daily opening new fields of consumption
in western Texas and the two Mexicos, it
ceeds but little foresight to predict an
Immense advance in this product. Shall
We then longer pursue the fatal policy OF
denuding these lands of their forests, or
shall we by judicious policy, convert
them into pine plantations? The barren
hills of New England and some OF the
northwestern states, where drOuths and
drenching floods alternate, should be u
warning to be needed at once.
l believe well digested plan for leas-
ing these timbered lands not only prac-
ticable, bur that it affords a solution of
the many difficult problems their manage
ment presents.
Convinced that no more important ques-
ton can or will be presented for the con-
sideration OF the next legislature, again
most urgently request that 1t Oe accorded
the attention it H. rits.
w. c. WALSH, Commissioner.