Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-01
THE LAND BOARD
Attorney-Gencrai Templeton's Defense
OF It's Action.
Numberl Of Acres Leased and Amoun.
Realized.

@hA- W. NAt>tus fttt ltNose
DEAR SIR--I am In receipt of your
letter of the 10Th inst, saying, In
effect, that at the time the state land
board raised the minimum lease
price Of consmon school, asylum aud
university lands from four cents to
eight cents per acre, 1t was said by
some, and probably believed that, this
action OF the land board would defeat
the leasing system inaugurated by
the legislature; because, on account
of the increased price, the land
would not he leased, aud the state
would be deprived of the fund expect.
ed TO be realized from leasing the
land. You ask me for the facts and
figures showing the result am able
to supply you with an official state.
ment prepared by Mr.. Lawrence, the
secretary of the board, which Is as
follows:
statement orlands leased by the state land
board AT their January aud April sessions.
Total number OF acres, January. dry
land, no watercd lands ON ihemar.
Total number Of dry leased In April GtS';sy
Total number of watered leased In
pril.....,, 6tte0
Total number acres dry lands leased
Ratio OF watercd lands leased to dry lands
leased, AZ per c,n'.
RASrotpn LAwRExcv,
Secretary State Land Board.
This statement needs but little ex-
PLANTATION to be fully understood, and
when fully understood, 1t is q thor
ough vindication of the board.
In January nothing but dry land
was leased, the watered land being for
the time reserved for general aud I'M
restricted public use. At the January
leasing $50 900 acres of dry land were
leased at minimum price of four cents
per acre. The amount of money real.
lied for il at that price was s32. $50,
In April, OF the same character of
land, COSTS were leased. This, at
eight cents, was worth to the common
school fund, sis,292.58. 1t will he
seen that 2l6,27s acres less Of land
was taken mp to be inclosed
In pastures, and the very important
fact must also be observed that for the
less amount leased In April, SIS, ADS
more money was realized than for the
larger amount leased i'm January.
Now, the man must have pretty
hard face who can stand up and say
the action of the board has been deteri-
mental in It's results to the state. The
people Will lttSt TIE tttillTuii lHty
need of it-at the present price.
1t is to be kept in mind that In
January was presented the first OPP
portunity to lease the land. The
leasing at that time represents the
accumulated wants OF perhaps some
years. and We're | TO speculate on II
and express an opinion, 1t would he
that as much land would have been
| al 81, -. L..
mt four. / unhesitatingly say, that
the land is being leased as'rapidly as
have any wish to see II leased,
Any fair.minded man who will close
his eyes for n moment to his own be.
culiar interest Will say the board has
done right.
Running this government and adj
ministering its affairs is, at last, only
matter of business. The officers
constituting the land board are
merely the agents of the people IL
the transaction of this business. II
this land belonged to one of oui
critics, and we were his agents to lease
il for him, and we should lease 1t al
four cents, when II would readily leas,
for twice as much, and was. worth 1t
he would hasten TO discharge US.
If he did not, ne ought TO
One word more with you. Thi,
thing called "free grass" Ia as much q
thing of the past as the deluge. | adj
NIT the dcluge came and went nrst.
The free grass that II Is said by som,
settled our country. was not the fre'
grass OF to-day. The free grass of to
day is that that costs the man inciosinp
thousands of acres of 1t with wir,
fence, or as eflectually guards IL with
Gordon OF line riders, nothing
So far as any common enjoyment o
it Is concerned, II IL no more free
than the land inside your garden. II
is something gotten, and exclusively
appropriated, for nothing. That's TN
fact about 1t. The free grass that set
tied UP Texas, II 1t did. was free to al
az the light and the air. That with
cred away when the wire fence came
But the time will be n long tim
coming, If IL ever comes, In thi
country. when there Is any Legislation
TO prevent or hinder the farmer or set
tier, or any other person from turning
his stock loose ON the commons abou
his home. The men are lew In mum
Der who want TO see II come.
IL would not be hard to prove tina
the leasing system adOpted by the state
il the much-ahused offspring OF tbs
Enclosure system adopted by the cattle
men, and while condemning 1t, the,
are only denouncing their own unfor
tunate offspring. ,v
1t Ia now understood In ciyilize'
countries that what u man has pail
, for he has the right to exclusivel,
appropriate aud enjoy, and IL Is no
improbable that the legislature tool
its cue from that fact, and concluded
that what man exclusively apprc
priated to himself, he ought 10 pay for
III Western Texas had been allowed :.
remain common. with all parts OF !
free 10 all, IL is quite likely II woul'
have been all free grass to-day.
Let me say TO you that with the POI
icy OF leasing the land, the board ha
; no more to do than yourself. we arr
0beying the commands OF the ieglsia
ture.
Al the extra session We endeayore
! hard TO get rid of the business, bli
failed. Iwant TO see Western Texa
settled as far as 1t ID capable OF SETTLE
ment. and / am for anything that wi
cover II over with houses and farm
and quiet the grass question .
making wheat and oats and corn an
cotton grow in It's place. Very respec
!. fully, JOHN u. IEMPLEioN.
Nv way of postscript. will say.
I YOU. the land leased IN April 10 tied Y
.. for hut ak wears, while that leased !
January Is tied up for ten.
Intsi Lois! JlOtsi