Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-05-02
THE LEASE DELUSI0N.
What VIII the Land Board do With III,
Lands?
Abandon the Lease idea and Sell the
Lands TO Settlers"
Galveston News.

Galveston News
Since the governor has vetoed the
land bill aud infused new life into the
state land board, there Ia much specu.
lation ~ to what policy the board will
adopt. IL is known that wide differ
ences between the members exist, and
that what has been done heretofore
has become impossible of repetition.
IL 10 tolerably certain that n fraction
OF the board would return 10 strict
compliance with the original require
ments Of the act OF 1883, abandoning
the Buperstructure OF rules, regula.
tions, orders and DEGREES built upon IL
by the board. II the law is so mon
strous as the governor and enc or two
other members Of the board deem Il,
the surest way of having IL replaced
with an acceptable law Is to enforce II
strictly, in letter and spirit, during
the next eighteen months. But an.
other and, IL IL claimed, a controlling
sentiment In the board favors resum.
Ing operations where they were aus.
pended last fall, and giving the policy
then In force further trial. This
course would probably result In very
| limited leases and sales. The mini
mum Of lenses at cents an acre for
dry and 90 cents for watered lands
would probably restrict transactions.
Watered lands being withdrawn from
sale and the greater part Of the lands
not disposed of by lease or sale, would
leave the Twentieth legislature In pc.
sition to adopt policy more In accord
with public sentiment. Should the
board determine TO 20 back to the
terms set forth In the law Of 1888, IL is
/ Al hnN NJ A H.. o.. a
80 an acre for sales of watered
lands, there would be little left
for disposition by the Tween.
tieth legislature. II the state land
board refuses to embRrrass the lands by
long leases at low rates, and business.
like arrangement IL made by the next
legislature for their sale at the fair rates
that can be obtained by inviting com
petition and by offering long time and
low interest, the land question will nc
longer trouble the dreams OF the poll.
ticians. II IL Ia, on the other hand
determined to cling TO the lease delu.
sion, vast stretches OF country out OF
reach of the watered lands will not
only never be leased at fair rates with.
out the adoption OF herd law and III
expensive system to compel users oil
the lands to pay for them, but interests
adverse to the settlement OF the coun
try by agriculturiets and small
stockmen Will effectually combine
to prevent interference with the
rule Of free grass. A lease
system az the dominant and exclusive
policy exposes the lands to the contro
OF those who would use the right Of
possession to the injury of others, {,
the prevention Of immigration, and
also In certain regions--as In the Pan
haudle--to the blockade OF egress FOL
cattle from other sections. The sug
gestions imply the recurrence of fence
cutting in some localities, aud Of VIC
lence aud predatory conflicts in others
The power of the state should b
equal to the protection OF property
and preservation Of peace everywhere
but when the great expense involved
i'm extraordinary efforts by the stat,
in distant aud sparsely settled dis
tricts is considered, that liberal sale
policy would not occasion violence an,
would not require unusual expense
but would speedily settle and develop
the country, adding to the taxabl
property and TO the Taxpayers, IL |
singular that as simple business
question there can he any doubt as {
the propriety Of abandoning the leRs
idea and adopting the policy OF selllnI
the lands. These lands, sold to actus
settlers, may be absorbed quite readil.
by capitalists, but the absorption is
slow process and gives time TO shap
legislation directed against anythinJ
injurious In land monopoly, so-oalled
So disposed Of, they yield to the schoc
d fund la interest more money annuall
, than they would from leases, and pa
the state and counties tax, besides
= IL, therefore, hopefully suggested tha
the land board Will use its dlHcretionar
powers to the full extent required {
discourage extensive leases anywhere
and leases altogether OF the lands !
k regions where the country Is attractin
n settlers. To return TO the four cent
. minimum. without restriction AS to el
n tent Of country given over TO the csttl
4 syndicates, might and probably woul
not lease great deal OF lend AVA
from the water courses, but II woul
give possession by authority to gres
stretches of country that would con
I mand the remainder Of the schoc
y lands for ak TO ten years for the e,
y elusive control of those who would ia
= nothing for their use. The land boar
!, has shown capacity for oestructiy