The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-02-23
SELLING AND LEASING SCHOOL
LANDS.

! SEALhNG AND LEASING SCHOOL
LANDS.
The STATESMAN has several times
lately, discussed questions as to tn,
best manner of disposing of tn,
Texas school lands. The law now
on the statute books is restrictive il
its nature, but in reality it is void, be
cause there are many ways for evad
ing its purposes. In grazing dis
tricts the law directs that only sever
sections of land may be sold to any
one purchaser therefore when one
wants more than sesen sections o.
school land he uses the names of hi:
wife and children, and friends, unit
the required number of sections are
secured and thus the law is a farce
Such law Should never have been
put upon our statute books; it is un-
just and it is nOnsensical, and at the
earliest possible moment il should
be repealed, that there may be no
subterfuge in the future. The
state has no just right 10 withhold
I1iiSts Al OnI 00T'u' 's'-e Pur oIi"9Cre, s-''s
il should sit squarely down on all
these sharpers, whom the law, as it
now is, permits to hold lands with
out acquiring title to them; ..and
it is demanded of the
state, that she protect the honest
purchaser against the wiles and
Vaccinations of these adventurous
spectators. There are two systems
under which the state should part
with its lands, one on long time sales,
the purchase money bearing five per
cent. interest, the other by lease
with the same ratio of interest or
profit applied as in case of
the state entering into bond for
title. There is no law at present for
leasing lands, but even as early as
the called session of the legislature
there should be provision made for
such disposal. In fact, these lands
should be placed upon the market
az the option of the citizen either to
buy or lease, and there really should
to be no discrimination as to price
between one or the other dealer.
The purchaser will pay interest
to the state, and besides this his
real estate AMI its improvements
would become a source of revenue
to the state as well as to counties.
1t will not do to hold the lands alone
for lease, for in such case
many of the western coun-
ties would thus be deprived of
the right to tax lands,
and these counties would then be
precluded from an advancement, to
which they would be justly entitled,
through a discriminating act of the
state government. Many stockmen
would refuse to lease lands, preferr-
ing to go go the territories to ac-
quire them, while others would pre-
fer to lease lands; and therefore the
policy OF the state should be TO close
the door to profit from the use of
grazing lands against neither class.
We have Il world of vacant country,
enough to support thirty millions of
people, and the same generous course
as has marked the past to those who
come among us, should be
adhered to i'll the future.
1t is folly TO think that western
Texas, through climatic changes
that follow civilization, must not
some day be one of the finest grain
producing countries on the face OF
the globe. Rain and the plow and
the chemichal action of the suns
rays on the soil will work a change
not dreamed of, and these changes
must be induced by selling more than
by leasing lands. The seItler must
be able to acquire perpetual title to
lands, that he may become Interested
in enlarging their uses. The settler
must be sold lands, taking his OBJ
legations therefore, payable
in twenty, thirty or even
fifty years, and requiring from him
an annual payment of five per cent.
interest on the purchase money. Amy
increased value in land, consequent
upon investment of capital and
labor, musl add to the states rev.
enue. There are portions of the
western country where lands could
only be grazed, and such minimum
rates should be fixed as would ulti-
mately make the poorest lands pro-
duce revenue. If the school lands
be thus properly handled it will not
be five years before the state will
derive from them, in interest and
rent, three or four millions of dol
lars annually for the uses of public
free education, and direct tax
alton for educational purposes will
no longer be required.