Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-03-09
THE LAND BOARD.
Conference With Catilemcn In Regard
TO Increased Rental Price of
School Lands.
probable Result TO the State of Adhe-
sion to the New Rule.

Special to the Gazette
Austin, March s.-The lant
ooaru hau n special meet
my TINS morning, called Tor the pur.
pNsr oi Tie stoekmen of North Texas
relative To their objections to the rp.
cent action oil the board in raising the
rental price of school lands, rhis
commission is composed of Nressrs
Simpson and Daugherty OF Dallas and
DaVls oil Colorado, all gentlemen OF
intelligence, reason and common
sense. Each OF the three gentlemen
/ joined IN the discussion, and the sub.
stance of their complaint is about ms
follows: They think four cents an
acre rental, th6forner minimum price.
| all That the Janus are worth. Several
years ago, before the best land
had all been taken an.
this advanced minimum might have
done, but now there are thousands of
acres of lands within q the sranpe
which would have ~ he leased. In
order to have line riding, which nre
utterly valueless OF nearly so, because
the prairie dogs had enten all of The
grass oil. The state will get more
revenue from lands under the old
minimum of four cents than the adj
Vanced minimum of eight cents, he
cause the stookmen are firmly in-
trenched in their determination not TO
lease at eight cents, and they can by
united efforts defea. the new law Of
the board. This act of the board has
gwen more dissatisfaction than all
the other troubles which the stock
men have had, even the fence.cuttiny
not excepted. The stockmen do not
want free grass, but are willing
10 pay for il, and
were perfectly satisfied with
the price and terms of the old law.
The policy of the state has always been
Tree grass, and so radical Il change was
unexpected, and will not do. The
best policy of the board, If ii wishes to
conserve the school interests, is to
make these lands valuable rs early rs
possible, and the way To do that would
he to leave the minimum price ut four
cents, with competition. Ii is ques.
tionable whether the board had the
right to change the price as fixed by
law, thus converting itself into leg.
islative body. III the board has the
right to meet and change The price |
and condition Of leases every week,
capital seeking investment would have |
no standard upon which TO exert IL |
self. If the stocltlnen unite |
ana decide not 10 lease |
at ALL the school fund |
must necessarily suffer, and the re- |
sponsiblility must rest on the board. |
The board should, in view of this fact, |
revoke the former action, and leave |
the price ms the legislature had origin
ally fixed it. The peculiar laws GOV.
erning the stockmen cannot have line
riders without including in their leases
lands utterly valueless, aud they can
not lease more favorable territory and |
fence II, because the fences would be |
cut. 70 sum the whole matter M.
the ruling of the board, il persisted in,
must have the effect TO drive cattle
men out OF the state.
Commissioner Walsh suggested that
the committee put the complaints In
writing, TO be considered 10y the board
when Att'y-Gen. Templeton returns
to the city, and II fun board can be
had. Mr. Simpson says that they de-
sired an answer before Tuesday next, (,
lie day the cattlemen meet in Dallas,
which Is the main reason the commits. =,
ion is here; that they desired to har-
nonize matters and that IL was with /.
iifliculiy that the Abilene convention
vas prevented from passing an abso
ute resolution, pledging every cattle
nan IN That section OF state not to lease Y
{ all. Il
Gov. Ireland asked If he understood II
he commission TO say that fencing q
las prevented in that section by fear 60
their being cut, which brought out II
ne statement that no fences had ever b.,
cen cut north of the Texas & Pacific ri
'ilroad west of Clay county, except NJ
le pasture OF Col. Young, and that n
ms brought about by personal cl
uds, the cutting being done al
cattiemen. The governor tr
so asked If any fence-cultiug ii,
I'd occurred since the new law went GU
to effect, aud was answered no, ex- in
pit the Instance mentioned, and the st
nd causing IL had been settled. t.
In reply to the suggestion of the an
that all the good lands are tIt
ken, Commissioner Walsh remarked ju
ut out OF the fifty millions OF acres
longing 10 the state, only about six frt
lllon have been disposed of, and ca
'p0sal of that comparatively small be
lount would have the effect to gut tn
9 entire public domain of all that Is mi
liable. tn
After some further remarks, the pr
was informed that the board col
uld definitely decide the matter by di'
esday next DO
The board considered some other sh,
'tters of minor importance, and ex'
burned. II Is the general impress. wa
N here that the board will moi re. pa
le the order. Is
. of,