Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-11-17


| assign for the APPOINTING ~
these agents. Through them ~
lands would be protected. the coup,r,.
more rapidly settled and greater satisfac-
uoh gwen tne people, and security guar
anteeu TO the property OF the state.
ihese agents should be sworn and
Donued oDlcorS, In such amount as the
commissioner may prescribe, and state
nnehts ana settlements made monthly.
lhese agents would not only be self
sustaining from fees, but they would
save the people applying TO purchase
ana tease lands, because they now have
70 pay land agents large fees to have ap-
pilcatlons made and forwarded TO the
land board, at least three times as much
ior each section as would be necessary TO
make these local state agents self-suS-
timing. In many instances where the
school sections are OF equal value with
the altemates, the owners OF the al
ternateS desire TO exchange forth school
sections, in order TO get their lands In
solid bodies. Such exchange might be
advantageous TO the state ina great many
cases, but this policy | cannot heartily
recommend, but IN case such a thing
should be desired by the state
these agents could make re-.
port ON the quality of the lands
Six local agents assigned districts west
of the one hundredth meridian would be
sufficient to attend to all the state lands.
LEASING THE sCuooL LANDS.
The school and public lands should be
leased subject to incidental sale to actual
settlers, and the duties and requirements
OF the actual settler and the lessee should
be definitely defined. Both parties should
know exactly what each should do. As
1t is now man will purchase Go acres
inside pasture and turn loose whatever
number OF cattle he may desire. In one
case the party made application for 6l0
acres, but had not complied with the law
by building and fencing, but had turned
loose In the pasture 1000 cattle and
horses. In another the party owned 5000
head OF cattle and claimed the right to
turn them all loose inside. A certain
shccpman was grazing his sheep inside a
pasture without owning land and suit
was instituted to eject him, but the pas
tnremnn failed and this man Is still in
side. Laws TO regulate all such matters
in speedy manner are badly needed, and
the legislature should use caution in de-
timing what the rights Of each should be.
When two or less sections are leased to
one individual, such lease should be abso-
lutte for the term of years leased, provided
the party leasing incloscS the land with Il
fence, but the law should guard against
fraudulent leases under this rule, by ranch
owners through their employees, as is
now the case OF purchasers as actual set
tiers. If such a provision should be
placed in law, severe penalties should be
enacted for the punishment of any party
that would rent two sections for other
than his own use, and no person should
be permitted TO lease directly or Indirect
ly for the use of another. For such VIC.
lationS OF the law the penalty should be
fixed and the certainty of inficting the
punishment should be the object to
be attained. When lands are leased
subject to purchase, the rental should
be less than when the lease is absolute
If parties leasing are to be continually
annoyed by actual settlers they should
have cheaper rents. The rate of rental
should be fixed at n price per acre that
would permit the state without doing the
lessee an injustice to tax the lands in the
hands OF the lessee for general state pur-
]
enacted and strictly enforced, leasing the
lands and making them taxable, the
school fund will receive enough money
annually to carry on the frec.schools with
out taxing the people for that purpose
and the state receive a large revenue foi
general purposes. The school fund ant
the state government should both derive
benefit from the school lands. The
laws leasing the lands should be liberia
and the terms easy, but the Ger
tainty of enforcing them should
be kept in mind, and the VENUE
fixed that will insure conviction in cast
OF violation.
Every person using the state lands
should be made to pay for them. MAKE
4 the rents and terms easy and then no len
! lent policy should be tolerated.
/ SALES.
Land should be sold IN quantities o.
not more than $40 acres to actual settlers
and none others without competition, anC
/ II only 800 acres were sold the country
would settle up just as rapidly.
Connective sales work a hardship tc
the immigrant hunting land for home
lie can not always be present on the day
of sale, and if he employs an agent t.
/ iGnTGSNllA III III NllN bhNAiNN1 - N'i'NN's''N
tory, because he leaves instructions tha
the agent must carry out, and often The
instructions are known where the land II
sold and little strategy on the part o
home people can defeat the object OF tbs
Immigrant and the settlement OF th'
country retarded.
The purchaser should be required Il
reside on the land at least one year, an'
for three years might be better, before n
is allowed to transfer his claim. Thl
would prevent fraudulent purchases Il
REQUIRE an applicant to swear that he vii
So tile the land and then permit him L
transfer as soon as he makes his first pay
ment, which he has 10 do ut the time h
makes the purchase, defeats the object o
the oath, and opens the door to fraud
From what have learned from the re
cords in my district, and from the con
duct of the parties applying for lana "a
actual settlers, and taking the iron-cla'
oath. believe TO prescribe an oath to b.
taken is bad for the morals of the coun
try, for the most of them openly disregard
1 H. The legislature may enact strict lan'
laws, and sell sac acres TO actual settlerS
only then man with money Will get oil
no land he needs by purchasing