The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-11-19

lave no interest in Texas, except to
.nrich themselves on free grass.
These large pastures are not foNthe
pest interest of this state, but to say
low large the largest pasture should
re is difficult question. Very large
pastures should be discouraged, and
he small stock farmer encouraged.
They are the class that will improve
md build up the co untry.
STOCK GRAZING ON SCHOOL LIND.
In every case where a person, jrm
Dr. corporation turns loose stock on !
the range and has no land, the local /
state agent should ascertain how |
many kind of stock such person, irm |
or corporation has, and charge thirty
five cents for each head CT tattl5 or |
horse, and ten cents for each sheep or |
goat, to be paid to the state, and-the
stock should be liable for the amount |
charged against them until paid.
Where the stock owner owns and
controls some land, but not enough to
support his stock, an estimate should
be made how many stock his land will
support; and charge for the Ielkalns
der. Laws on this point shouR be
carefully drawn, with severe penal
ties for any deception or
attempt to mislead the state agents
as to the amount of land owned or
controlled. II any fraudulent trans
fers of land, directly or indirectly, the
person perpetrating, or attempting
the fraud should be severely punished.
The title claimed by any per1Sn to
land hould be shown said state $Eent,
and the agent should require al sight
to land to be recorded, and tie alb
stracts of records would afford the
means OF detecting violation OF law.
The agent should have auth9Elty to
charge fee for his trouble, x fifty
dollars, when the owner has OVER one
thousand cattle or horses, and twenty
and fifty and under one thousand; and
five dollars for anything under two
huedred and fifty, and Cne-fon:th as
much for sheep and goats.
When a stock owner has e4pugn
grass land, owned or leased, to S stain
his stock, and does not choose t9tence
it, there could be no object1ons%o his
| stock running at large over the Anln-
closed lands of Others similarly sltua-
ted. 1t could not matter on nose
land the stock fed, when all mem YER
required to own or lease enough lend Il
sustain their stock, and such arrange
ment would not materially change olt
| habits.
NEW JUDICIAL DISTRICTS.
1t is necessary to have judlcia
system, especially for the trontie
country. The counties of Tom Green
Pecos. Preside, Ell PaSo and Crockett
should be divided into unorganize;
coulties of the area required by TIL
constitution, IS was done by 4a2
dividing the Pan Handle into unor
ganiZed Countess law drew VI
when member of the state senate
and then the uuorganized countie
should Oe laid off into two judicia
districts. The judges for these dis
tricts should be appointed from, othe
portions of the state. and free. iron
the interests and influences of tina
section. They should have civil ant
criminal jurisdiction, and should
when in any case plaintiff and defend
ant agree to submit the cause 70 thu
decision of the judge, try it AID de
eide it, put if a jury should be de
manded by either party, the Judg
|
motion, to Travis county, for TRIAL b,
jury. This will bring law and orde
on top. The Judges should aYpoln
peace officers, and hold their Co rts a
designated places convenient 10 tn
people-one place of holding CO TT TO
each of the four counties, and nea
the centre Of the four counties af pos
sible. Two judges would be enough
and two district attorneys. O Sea
j son for laying OFF thessa -asas
/ that 1898 coantiesA sy1he
ldebts foot$:E bic buildings, andN wheI
a new county is cut off hereafter, anC
organized, it becomes liable for ia part
of the debts created by the parent
county, and has no money to btild &
court house and Jail. If previously
laid off, the county tax accommodating
while unorganized would be available
when it does organize, and gan bt
used for building purposes. AS it is
now, when new county is laid Off
as in the case of Midland, it will not
have dollar to stBrt with, and be-
sides, will be in debt for buildings fol
the parent county.
In considering the propriety of es-
tablishing the judiciary system, l slIg
gest it should be remembered that out
of 272,OOO square miles in Texas, thai
there are near 100000 square miles il
which there is scarcely a resident
peace officer, judge or jury. This
state of things exist in more than
one-third of the whole area of the
state.
| SURVEYS AND SURVEYORS.
AS general thing land survey:
were never made on the ground, an(
when the immigrant undertakes tt
select him a tract of land for home
he is compelled, in nearly every case
to have long connecting lines run be-
wants is situated. The fee fixed by
law is three dollars a mile for Sucf
work, and often deters man with
little money from applying, and is
great drawback to the settlement o.
the country.
The railroads should be made to ruI
and establish the corners, as they orig
inally contracted with the state to do
If the state makes the surveys
it will be doing the work and
establishing the corners to the
railroad surveys as well as to the
school section, one of the consld
erations for the grant of land to rail-
roads was that they would survey fol
the state the school sections and make
corners, and they should be made
comply with their contracts. Farther
delay in this matter would be detri-
mental to property of the school lands
and settlement of the country.
Surveyors on the frontier are gener-
rally careless and poorly provided with
record books and stationery. They do
not feel it to be their duty to assist the
man hunting a home or to show him
the lands on the maps unsold, but re-
I fer him TO their records to look for
himself, and a well posted man in land
matters would fiud it difficult to in
form himself from the records in
their office. The Immigrant can
not find a blank application
in most OF their offices, and
is told that he can find them with the
land agents and is forced to the neces-
sity of employing an agent to make
faH 70 h inn