The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-03-12
THE LAND BOARD.
From the Siockmpn's Polni q obser-
walton and Interest.
Interviews with Pr0mlDent MOnarohs
of tie Range.
Has .ho Hand Board Trn,csndc6i


The laud board ~ raising the piice for lens.
INK school lands, thought IL
would be Of interest to obtain
the views OF some OF tuo prominent stock.
men on tho question. and this morning
gives couple oi Intervene by its commits
son1r. Meeting
Mr.. J n. tiyrf0s,
one Of the most prominent aud veal hest
of tho stockmen belonging 10 the assoclg-
ton, our commissioner collected he NloNe
WITH tho following result
Commissioner "Mr... Slmp'on, as you
were one ola committee appointed TO wait
upon the land board and urre ~ 10 rcscind
its recent action ia putting up the
price 81 lease OF school lands, the HERALD
will be glad 10 have your views % 10 the
effect on thiH action OF the bOard.".
Mr.. Simpson: 1.-The effect, IN my opinion,
will be detrimental o. the bcs, interests OF
the STATE In 20 far 40 M increase ot the
available sthool fund 10 concerned. ! don't
think the stookmen car stand
tho raise to use common
expression They caynot afford as
general thing, 10 give eight cents ~ acre
per Eunum for unwnteTtd and twenty cent,
an acre per annum ior wiiered secIions OF
school lends. IS Iemuneratiyo az stock
raising may no, stcCkm On cauuol AFFORD "
psv these prices as rule"
COm MISSIONER NNN ltA1 W hhs 81 2
your PERSONS for this conclusionf'
Mr.. Simpson; because, when ,tocA.
man owning land desires 10 lease school
lands lac AS to take ell the school pecuany,
they being ternete as he comes 10 them,
and very many Of these sections are e.
lirsly worthless, come a them having no
more grass upon them than there Ia ia the
streetg Of this city. For instance, On nay
range on the PecJs river there IS 40
much land worthless for grass tina, the az
ereeg Is not less than flty acres per COW,
To pay Tor so much land thcn thn, gives no
return whatever will be ruiaous."
Cois missioner: what do you thin 4,
then, the result will beY'
Mr.. Simpson; II think the stockmen VIII
simply dec'in to lease the school lands that
might have been bringing IN
four cents az acre rental 10 the school fund
will lie idle and not bring in cent. This
being the case, the land board has owl
DENLY made mistake; has evidently done
that which vii initiate ngainst the inter.
ests of public education, AMI the Children
will be the sufferers
Commissioner: "What effect, il j. be
true, as is intimated by some OF the nove-
papers that Governor Ireland 10 the power
Influencing the land board, he being n
mem Der OF it, TO raise the lease price to 8
and 90 cents an acre, on bis aspirations
and prospects for re-sleclion2n
Mr.. Simpson. II think that his action
will ALLEVIATE from him oil the
stockmen OF the state. There
10 no Law as yet in force
with penalty attached TO effect the stock
mon and will not be for twelve months, and
In that time we are % elsct new legislature
and state oillcere, and something may turn
mn IN that twelve months, therefore the
slockmen can afford TO wait and to work for
a change that will give them relief.
Nom missioner: Have the laws passed
BY the called session of the Legislature
against fence cutting begun as yet 20 have
any beneficial eflec,'"
MIR. Simpson, Fence cutting has ceased
Ia the state. We never hsd any OF 1t up
here in the genuine and true stock region
OF the Btate-northwest Texas. Where 1t
did exist il WAS only sporadic aud not cpl
demic. and it really died out OF itsef."
Thanking Mr. Simpson for his candid and
frank expression OF his views, the ocmmis'
sioner than found
NE. J. 2. EVANS,
who liTes In tho Panhandle, whom he
found 10 be- an exceedingly pleasant and
courteous ~ well us entertaining gentle
man, responding very cordially as follows !:
Corr No iss'nner: "Mr. Evans. what effect
do you think the action OF the land board
in rsising tho price for the lease Of school
lsrds will have on the stock interests :?
Car the stock men stand it
Mr. Evans, Oh. yes, We can stand
L; that is, We can asnnd any
hing that IL lawful. l am law abiding
man, myself, and believe every man should
submit quietly to any law that may be
passed by the proper authorities, or il he
raunot, then leave the country and find
one where the laws are congenial. ] think
this action OF the land board is arbitrary
and contrary to tho spirit and
the letter OF the lenee law as passed by tho
le gislaturc. / was at Austin when this
lease law was passed and lis, ened to the
discussion upon the bill Those who IA
yorsd short lease Of the land had to COM
Gated n low rate of lease per ncre per annum
bad 10 compromise on cents rs
INC minimum ana In this shape
the Law passed. 1t is true the
land board was created and given power 10
reject bids for leases, bat the aim in thai
was TO prevent men from leasing gay lit
tic slip of land on each side OF stream,
ana fencing lt in 90 as 10 cut Oh other STOCK
than his own from water. The law also
that there shall be competi-
lion in bids for land, cents being
fixed AZ the minimum In conpsti-
tive bids aud the highest price to bs d.
handed where there is no competition.
For instance where a man offers cents
nm acre for school lande and there II no
higher bid against him. think the spirit
o. the law 10 that the board shall accept the
bid. / cannot understand by what au-
thority this board assumes tho
power 10 tx the price OF leas5
Tor tho schoo lands at 5 cents FOR I'M
v altered sections, and that no lesse shall
Exc, ed six yenre, when the law itself says
here may be competition in bidding for
these lauds, aud that leases shall be for ten
vears | think the unanimous sentiment
NJ ptocsmen IL that this ruling
and action OF the land board 10 arbitrary
Stockmen are law.abiding men, aud will
1uietly and periodically submit to the law,
but there 10 no law TO compel them to lease
the school lands, and there Is no law TO
compel tn am 10 fence up their stock. SO
and who 10 there aud what law 10 there to
mans stock from feeding on the
Immissioner: "Do you think then that
,tock men will refuse 70 lease the school
ands as long as this ruling OF the land
BOARD is Ia force2n
Mr.. Evans: "Thiu association will not
a ke any action in the matter. Some stock
men may lease, and some some viii
took man owns lot OF
and with alternate sections OF school
and about him, but here and there are
title tracts owned by "nesiefs" and little
armers, and 10 get what land he warts for
.rszing purposes he has % entirely sur-
ound these little Violated tracts, that is
enoe them in The law now says no
nan can fence Ia land not bic
,vn or that Ia not controlled by him. TIE
IL that he has 10 N IKE lanes,
living sky feet OF his Own laud in width |
mall "pester" tract 10 contend with OF so |
cr,s. suppose, II gill cost him not lees |
h,n So. 600 TO make the lanes, etc As
DON az he lesses the school lards he |
,lls into q blsckmailing trep, for the owner |
4 the small tract says: You can't fence |
1e In: you must give me sn outlet" and |
noaing that II will cast at least SO 600 to