The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-09-01
n ~ rcs@M

u feoaiyed no nbcnhIkrb, anu 10"
~ warrants ever tsned 60 them
fnony oftheir services, and WIRE doubtless
In the army. hut their claims are SUE
pended. II these claimants arc 10 receive
any benefits, would respectfully suggest
that some further legislation DO Iecon'
mended-
puTIo SCHOOL LANDS.
From July, 1874. 10 November, 1S70,when
sales ceased under the oct of July, 1914, Ap-
plications had been received in tins
Office Tor the purchase of 5000 acres OF
school land, of which amount fully twenty
per cont. was fortified. ,o,
From November, 1879, TO Angus. 81, 1880,
applications wero received for 10000 acres.
From the last named date to March j, 1857,
applications have bean received for j, SOOOOO
acres.
The greater portion OF these sales hava
been east of tho 100 meridian, for the
reason that many Of the counties west al
that line havo net been appraised, or
the apprsisements lave not been approved
by this office, and consequently the land
conld not be sold Experience demon.
strates daily the necessity for q change In
the laws governing the sales OF these lands.
The duties aud responsibilities devolved by
the preeent law OH the commissioner OF the
geaergl land Office ire OF u character which
the proper discharge OF which demand at,
tcntion, to the prejudios of duties pertain
ing exclusively 10 this Office. When 1t is
remembered that the state now has nearly
50, 900 sections az these lands, situated IN
over 200 counties, and that Of this vast
amount little over 2 500 sections have been
applied for, and that these magnificent
sales, compared with the whole amount,
necessitate the keeping of nearly 5000 prin-
cipal and interest accounts, some idea may
be formed of the amount of clerical force to
be required when the whole body Is placed
on the market. In anticipation OF this, 1
suggested in my last report the placing OF
the management and sales of these lands
in the hands of responsible bonded on
Ger, whose whole time could be devoted to
their interests, and who should account d.
rectly to the treasurer for moneys received:
When necessity required it, he could sislt
and inspect the lands. and thus act ad-
visedly on the many questions presented to
him. Under the present law abuses have
grown up, beyond the power Of this otnes
to control, and which have not only ae,
prived the school fund of large amount OF
money, but have retarded settlement ana
driven away many who came in good faith
to acquire homes among us. Asoa settle
ments extend and new counties organize,
combinations are formed at the county
seats, through which, by the use OF Dor
rowed OF fictitious names, every valuable
section of land in the county is "hled' on,
market. When the ninety days expire ana
the files lapBe, new ones are made by the
members of the firm, simply exchanging
mum bers of sections and refling. In this
way the lands are practically controlled ny
close corporation, and when bona hide
purchasers arrive they are forced to buy the
privilege of purchasing these lands from
de- nos Axtr n "
these files" when the consideration was
FROM 1900 to $500 per section, aud great
numbers where the consideration was less
When it is remembered that these lands
we're valued under oath, IS required by law,
it demonstrates the necessity OF some other
mode of placing price on Them, or some
other mode Of selling them. II the sworn
valuation is correct, the settler is subjected
to eytortion; if it is not correct, the school
fund is dsfrauded In another respect the
present law Is sadly defective: When the
rolls Of county have been examined and
| approved by this office, notice OF such APP
| proval is sent the surveyor in o sealed lst-
ter, ard he is by that letter, without any
public notice, authorized to receive appll-
cations to purchase. In this way the sur
yeyer has it in his power to place every, val
liable section in the hands OF those whom
he may select, to the exclusion of the gen.
eral public. Another objection to the pres
ent law is found in the fact that it virtually
makes the county surveyor state agent
for the sale of the lands, without providing
adequate compensation, and retains no con-
troll over his action, except the negative
and arbitrary power of this Office to With
hold or withdraw the lands from market.
rINDEBED ACTIONS.
Under section of tn act OF April ., 1881
which authorizes the commissioner OF the
general land office to withhold, his APP
prevail of the valuation OF the lands OF any
county when he is satisfied the valuation Is
too low, / have refused approval OF the
rolls, among others, of the counties In the
eastern part of the state, where the pinerie'
are situated. Ny reasons were; first, ina,
the law, while limiting the amount o.
arabic and pasture land, which one pur
chaser might acquire, fails to fix any
limit on timber lands; second, these
lands were generally valued at tho mini
mum price fixed by law, OF 81 per acre Ioi
dry sections, and 81 for watered SECTIONS
From nearly. if not quite, all these coun
ties received letters from responsible citi'
zens advising against the approval OF these
valuations. These letters, coupled viii
the anxiety of certain corporations anC
syndcstes to purchase at the prices hxed
determined my action in the matter. Ii
most of the counties the surveyor AM
county commissioners have declined 10 IN
crease the valuations, and in others the IN
crease did not meet my expectations, anc
the result is that this wealth Of pine re
mains the property of the common schools
ana awaits the further action OF the Ieglsia
ture. l may have oyerestimated the value
: and importance OF these pineries; II SUCH o.
the case, no permanent injury can result
in view OF the approaching session, but !
my estimate of their value, present ant
! prospective, is correct, my permitting thel
sale NJ the prices named would have WORKED
an injury to the school fund and the entir
state, which no legislation could repair
MINERAL SECTIONS.
/ have been informed from various re
! liable sources that several sections OF schoo
! land in I'll Paso county contain good OF
ticle OF stone coal. Rumors also assert IN
pressnco OF coal on school sections on IN
lines OF the Texas Central and the Texas
Pacific railways. In the great number
sections situated IN the mountainous an
broken portions Of FL Paso, Preside am
Pecos counties il is not only possible, bu
probable, that in the not distant future Goa
aud other more valuable mineral
NAV be discovered. In view OF these fact
and possibilities, would il not be well to IN
corporate In the sales law provision SIM
lar 70 that contained in our orgauic law IN
iii 1869. viz: reserve TO the school fund a.
the minerals which may be discovered
Tho discoyerer Of minerals on a school sec
toned might be allowed to stake of an
enter q mining claim Of say twenty ceres a
a compensation, the remainder OF the se'
ton 10 DO sold or the mines worked for
+ royalty. The want OF some such proyisio
+ deters poor men, who are generally IN
prospectors, from seeking minerals IN on
state or from making their discoVeHe
: known.
tbs SCHOOL LAND PEODLEM.
D The MAGNITUDE Of the interests involve
, as Affecting the school fund and the futur
4 development Of our state and the eNten
! sive legal machinery necessary 20 proper
: control the disposition Of these lands Pr
4 sent problems Tor cautious legislative SOFT
: ton. One Of the first difficulties - be me
: IA 10 prevent 4 conflict between the intei
I ests Of the school fund and the settlement
: OF tboss portions of our state where tbes
: lands are situated. Actual settlers dcmen