The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-21

IL tlilo way Iuc ldIlllS are pTdctlcdllN
controlled by close corporation, and
when bona fide purchasers arrive,
they are forced to buy the privilege of
purchasing these lands from the state.
have seen deeds conveying these
files when the consideration was
from $500 to $500 per section, and
great numbers where the considera-
ton was less. When it is remember
ed that these lands were valued under
oath, as required by law, it demon
strates the necessity of some other
mode of placing price on them, or
some other mode of selling them. If
the sworn valuation is correct, the
settler Is subjected to eXtortion; if it
IS not correct, the school fund is de-
fraude1.
In another respect the present law
Is sadly defective: When the rolls of
county have been examined and APP
proved by this office, notice of such
approval is sent to the surveyor in IA
sealed letter, and he is by that letter,
without any public notice, authorized
to receive applications to purchase.
In this way the surveyor has it in his
power TO place every valuable section
in the hands of those whom he NAV
select. to the exclusion of the general
public.
Another objection to the present
law is found in the fact that it virtu-
ally makes the county surveyor state
agent for the sale of the lands, with
out providing adequate compensation,
and retains no control over his action,
except the negative and arbitrary
power of this office to withhold or
withdraw the lands from market"
1t it be deemed eXpedient to con-
tinue the sale of these lands, impor-
tant changes in the law will he
needed.
l. \ bonded officer should be placed
III charge of the educational lands, and
with the advice of the hoard of educa-
ton, or some board to be created, dis
charge the duties now devolved on
the county surveyor and the commits
siOner Of this department.
2. The lands should be classed rs
agricultural, grazing, timbered and
mineral.
3. Agricultural and grazing lands
should be subdivided into watered and
unwatered, and sold only at public
sale to the highest bidder, above a
minimum price to be fixed by law.
4. The actual settler. should have
the privilege of taking the land at the
highest price bid.
.. Only the merchantable timber
should he sold from the pine lands,
and this sale to be public.
q. The ownership of all minerals
which may be discovered on lands
hereafter sold, should be reserved and
remain in the common schools; and
no right of purchase, on account of
occupancy and improvements on lands
not already sold, should extend to, or
include the title to any such minerals.
Z. The discoverer should be guaran-
teed some preferred right as an en-
enlargement to prospecting.
repeat the suggestion of placing
this matter in the hands of a separate
officer, for the reasons heretofore
given, viz: that it is impossible for the
commissioner of the general land Of
lice to give it the attentionit demands,
without neglecting, to Il greater or less
extent, the current business of the
office. 1t often happens that he is en-
gagged, for days together, in examining
and ruling upon school land matters,
to the entire exclusion Of all other
business; and If the present cum
bersone system is preserved, a bonded
chief with force of clerks should be
provided. This is the more necessary,
because the constitution requires that
.the land office shall be self-Sustaining;
which it Will not be, in the near future,
II charged with the expenses of the
sale of school lands.
In offering these suggestions, l would
not he understood as endorsing the
present law, even though so amended.
My official duties have forced upon me
the careful study OF our school land
system, both in itself and in its re-
lations to the general interests of the
state, and my conclusions may he
summed up in the words that it is
wrong in principle and worse in its
application.
In framing legislation on this sub
ject the object should be: First, to
secure free education; second, to so
guard les Station that it shall not, in
effect, throttle the progress and de-
Ielopment of all other interests. I'm
Ter The present plan of making abso-
lutte sale of these lands, it is but
question OF Il few years when the state
shall have parted with every acre pos
Sessing an intrinsic value. If then we
figure up so many millions of acres at
50 much per acre, we easily reach the
maximum Interchangeable amount Of
our permanent fund to the interest of
which we must look for the available
fund of the future. But who can fig
ure up for us the increase of our schO- !
lastic population? and how long will |
the interest of this stationary fund |
yield an appreciable per capita for the |
children OF our growing state? 1t re-
qulres but hasty glance at our edu-
cltlonal statistics to discover that the |
greatly increased sales of these lands, |
IN the past two years, have added lit |
tie or nothing to the amount per head
of our scholastic population. If, then,
their sales Tor money will yield |
but a temporary increase of our
school facilities, it behooves us
to seek, in time, some other method |
for their management. Raising the |
price does not change the question, |
out simply pOStpOnes the final catas- |
trophe; and in the interest of free
education, l see but one course left,
and that is to lease all pasture, timber |
and mineral lands for term of years, |
and sell, if at all, only to actual settlers. |
1t is not necessary to bllrthen this re- |
port with the figures; but it is easily |
demonstrable that rent can be secured |
which will nearly, if not quite, equal |
the interest on any sum for which |
they can now be sold; and while thus
securing an available fund for present |
use, we retain the title in an ever in |
creasing principal, which, at least for
years to come, will keep pace with our
growing population.
In this connection it may not be in |
appropriate to call attention to the |
past history of educational funds, not |
only elsewhere but in our own state. |
Human intellect has, so far, devised |
no laws which human ingenuity and |
human interest have failed to circum- |
vent; and once converted into money, |
it becomes only a question of time |
when our permanent endowment will |
be captured by speculation.
THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR
STATE.
as affected by present legislation on |
this subject, presents a further matter |
for serious consideration. 1t the state |
parts with the title to these lands, she |
not only loses her power to prevent |
large landed monopolies, but actually |
encourages their erection and says in |
substance to toiling masses who are
to follow us: IF you want homes |
you must purchase from the capitalist |
to whom have sold" While it may
be urged that we are dealing with the |
living present, and that posterity must |
take care of itself, we must remember |
that the fund we have was bequeathed |