The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-11-19
STEPHENS.
THE GRASS COMMISSIONERS REC
OMMENDATIONS TO HE STATE
LAND BOARD.
Rules Suggested for the Man
agement Of the School
Lands.
An Interest That Will Soon
Amount to One Hundred
Millions.
How to Put an Epd to
Free Grass In This
State.
THE TEXAS LAND LAWS,

THE TEXAS LAND LAWS.
AUSTIN, len, November l6, 1885,
% the Hon. state Land Board;
1t is necessary that our land laws be |
hanged. l submit in connection !
With my reports, my views and sug-
,estions as to needed remedies. The |
school lands are worth more than |
fifty million dollars and the subject is
one of great importance to the peo-
pie, and should be fully discussed
and understood by all, and my sug-
Zestions are made with that object
in view.
SCHOOL LAND DEPARTMENT.,
This department now under the
of the State Land Board
should be a separate, distinct depart
ment, under commissioner, elected by
the people, who should manage, con-
troll and supervise the lease and sale
of all the public lands and such Other
business as may be necessarily con-
nected with the school and public
lands Of the state under laws enacted
for the control and management of
this department which should def
nitely prescribe the duties performed
in this department.. This is rapidly
becoming one of the most important
departments of the state government,
and although ithas only been in ex-
istance two years and created as an
experiment the receipts received
annually from sales, leases and inter-
est on school land obligations, amount
to 100000, and with the necessary
school land laws with authority and
power to enforce them, not less than
one million dollars more can annually
be added to the receipts of this de-
partment, and when placed under the
management of a commissioner
charged with the responsibility of the
management of the office and all
school land business, then this depart
ment will receive and pay into the
state treasury more money an
nually than any other department OF
the state government. More
responsibility will rest with
the school land commissioner than
any other; the duties of that officer
will be all that one man can attend to,
and no other labor or duty should be
required of him. for his whole time
and attention should be directed to
the school land business and the man
agement of that vast and growing
interest. The commissioner Of the
general land Office now has all he
can manage and do Justice to that de-
partment, and to increase and burden
the commissioner of that office with
the sale and lease of the school lands,
will be requiring more of him than
he can or will do. When a depart
ment officer is burdened with more
work than he can find time to attend
to the interest of the state is certain
TO suffer. If this business should be
placed under the management Of the
lsS1 office, nothing would be saved,
= the -sdTne t@Bar or men aksya'
einR0yes will Do required to handle
the business "a If under separate de-
partment5, and the result would be to
lessen the responsibility. This school
laud department if managed by a
commissioner vested and clothed with
authority to control and direct its
affairs, can be made almost, if not
quite self-sustaining, by charging GER
tain fees fixed by law for all work
done by the department for persons
having business with that Office.
Under the present system there is no
law authorizing the land board de-
partment to charge fees for work
done, All business pertaining to
school lands should be placed directly
under the school land department. AS
it now is it takes three departments
to manage it. Land books and &C
counts are kept by the treasurer,
the land board and land office. Two
book-keepers are kept in the treasury
department on land matters at a salary
of $1,400 each, and one assistant book
keeper at a salary of 81 200, and thee
additional clerks at a salary of $1,000.
The land board has one book-keeper
and one assistant at a salary of 81 200
each, and five clerks, two 5000 and
three at 81 200 each.
The book-keepers and clerks in the
treasury should be placed under
the school land department
and the business would be more salts
factory and less expensive. AS it is at
present the business necessarily must
be conducted in this manner, but the
legislature should remedy it. The eX-
penses of the land board are paid out
of money collected from the school
lands and all clerks or employees on
school land matters should be paid IN
The same way and not out of the gen.
eral revenue. The commissioner of
this department should have some dis
cretionary authority to prevent frauds
in the absence of law, because it is
not in the wisdom of any legislature
to enact laws that will cover all land
questions and prevent frauds.
INT,
should be appointed by the commits
sioner of the school land department
and assigned certain districts, and
such districts should be created by law
for the local management of the
school land in their districts, with Ger
tain powers, prescribed by law, to pre-
vent frauds upon the state and to reg
ulate and adjust certain questions be-
tween the actual settler and the leS~
see. They should protect settlers and
small stockmen from violence and in
from the wealthy, and see
that the latter are not blackmailed
aid imposed upon by the actual set
tiers or SD all stockmen. The duties
and powers given these agents be
plainly and definitely defined by law.
The agents should be paid in fees of
office and the law should prescribe the
fees to be charged for all kinds of
work done. They should have access
to or even control of the surveyors Of
ice. and should keep maps and plats
Of the land in their districts and alb
stracts from records, so as to be more
readily able to point out lands to ina
migrants for purchase or lease, and re-
eeI We the monies for all sales n, leases
and forward to the school land de-
partment. They should be under the
control of the commissioner of the
school land department and subject to
such rules and regulations as he may
not in conflict with the laws
Of the state. The protection of the
school lands from fraudulent pur-
chase; the conflicting and clashing OF
interests between the small and the
man, and the actual settler
and the stockman; the great trouble
and expense that the immigrant has to
labor under to procure him a home,