The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-12-21

once Recommendation made pabiie
school Lands, Eto.
The commissioner Of the general land
ofloe IN his report, which was completed
Saturday last, shows tbs Issuance ofl2'SOi
patents covering 0O03,0i5 acres OF land,
i7,7l5 certificates covering with the alter.
nate sections %, 900 6Oj acres, aud H,45O re.
turns Of new surveys, embracing O7OlOlb
acres, from September u, $780, 10 August
81, 1889. The liabilities In excess Of public
domain Is estimated at 1,0OD w
acres. The sum or 3ldIWz W.
was collected and paid into the
treasury, being an excess OF over $3,OOg per
month over the expenses oil the once.
During the past year the increase OF work
ia the office has been so great that the com,
missioner recommends material increase
of clerical force. He 9lso suggests that IN
nocent purchasers Of forged land titles,
which are liable TO be impeached, have
their titles made perfect by appropriate
legislation. In regard to the
PUBLIC SCHOOL LANDS =
he saws: "That applications for purchase q
school land from date of my last regular re,
port to August 81, 1882 reach 355i ,4O6
acres. If to this we add applications pre-
viously reported, viz; 10000 acres,
we have total TO date OF 3d., 100
acres. Previous to the 3lst of August. 1850,
we had surveyed and returned to: TINS
office 4, 492 sections of school land. Since
then there have been returned III, ls3 gee,
tions, making total Of $50, or 33,OiZ,ooo
acres. If from this we deduct the amount
sold, viz. 1854 766 acres, v have on August
81, 1882, 20, III 234 acres. This amount VIII
be increased by the beginning OF 1855 by
additional returns of say 10000 acres, and
give us at that date nearly, if not quite,
900, 600 acres to be controlled and disposed
of. If it be contemplated to carry out the
idea of those who originated the law SUP
sldizing railroads by donations OF land,
viz. to prevent the acquisition of large solid
bodies. then the present law for the sale OF
these lands is failure. II capitalist or a
corporation desires 100 or 500 sections, it is
only necessary first to secure from the rail-
roads its title to the odd numbered sections
and then, by the use of borrowed names or
names Of wife and children to cover seven
sections each, and the thing is accomplish
ed. Other and serious abuses, beyond the
power of the office to control, have grown
up to the injury OF the school fund and
damage to the progress of settlement OF our
new counties. quote from my report to
the called session of 1882, with remark that
the same objections exist to-day:
Combinations are formed at the county |
seats, through which, by the use OF Dor
rowed or fictitious names, every valuable
section of land in the county 10 "fled'' on,
and thus for ninety days withdrawn from |
market, when the ninety days expire and
files lapse, new one are made by the mem
bers of the firm, simply exchanging num-
bers of the sections and retiling.
In this way the lands are
practically controlled by close
corporation, and when bona nue.
purchasers arrive. they are forced to buy |
;v;l Of these lands
from the state. l have seen deeds convey
ing these files where the consideration
was from $500 to $500 per section, and great !
numbers where the consideration was less.
When it is remembered that these lands H
were valued under oath, as required by law
it demonstrates the necessity of some Other
mode of placing price on them. in an1
other respect the present law is sadly det
fective. When the rolls of a county have
been examined and approved by this oifice,
notice of such approval is sent the surveyor
in sealed letter, and he Is by that letter,
without any public notice, authorized TO
receive applications. to purchase. In tyits
way the surveyor has it in his power 10
place every. valuable section In Hne
to the exclusion of the general pubic"
If it is deemed expedient to CONTINUED the
sale of these lands, important changes III
the law will be needed. o.
First-A bonded officer should be placed
in charge of the educational landsb anu
with the advice of the board OF educatlo
or some other board to be created, as
charge the duties now devolved on tne
county surveyor and the commissioner On
this department. ,o1
Second-The lands should be classed as
agricultural, timbered, pasture anu lniii-
eral. ,,a,
Third gricutural and grazing lands
should be subdivided into watered anu un-
watered, and sold only at public sale 10 the
fixed by law.
Fourth-The actual settler should nave
the privilege of taking the lana at the
highest price bid.
Fitth-Only the merchantable timber
should be sold from the pine land, ana the
sale to be public. ~ ,,
Sixth-The ownership OF az minerals
which may be discovered shouln 0e re-
main in the schools, and no rlgnt % pur
chase on account of occupancy ana I'M
provement OF lands not already soiu,
should extend to or include the Title 10 any
such minerals. ;,uo,,
Seventh-The oiscoverer OF minerals
should be guaranteed some preiereu ilsh'
as an encouragement to prospecnng.
of a separate department 20 mqnsse the
lands and eniorces it by eaylng tnat the
constitution requires the land-pihce 10 De
self sustaining which will not he in the near
future If charged with the expense OF the
sale of school land" He says from care
full study of the present law regard
ing these sales, thaS it Is wrong
in principle and worse in opppcatlon, ana
that in framing a new law the onJece
should be to secure free education' ana 70
SO guard legislation that IL shall not throt-
tie the progress and Development Oh o'her
interests. ,..o,, {,
He says that under The present system II
is but question of a Few years When lne
state shall have parted WIN every scre "
land possessing intrinsic value he OPP
poses the further salf OF school lanus' pc
lIeving it to be TO the best lnterest o. wy
ADVANCE in value, lie says: at every acre
were sold today ior casn AZ 80
per acre, we would nave our ueas
ury bursting witb an zoe, unayalap.te
school fund, not only craving NO lnteigss
roroIyzing nrocelss. Let us lease these
iands and In addition TO the annual rental
secure TO the PERMANENT Juno tneir auNa az
ed value and retah In the power 10 ssy 70 tns
essv termsJ II Us certainly better for the
stafe 10 have FIVE hundred families repre-
ssn,ino s5oo each than TO have one man or
2 syndioate representing 81 100000"