Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-05-14
FOREIGN CAPITAL WANTED
Australian Land Laws Compared
With Those of tho Lone Star State.
JEFFERSON, TEX, May 3. ]

In my letter Of the l7th OF April 10
The GAZETTE / promised to make
some comments on the land bill lately
passed by the Texas legislature. Being
an outsider, Of course know nothing
OF the private interests concerned, OF
the wire pulling Of the party or the
intrlgues OF politicians and the grounds
which influenced the governor TO veto
the measure. 1t seemed to me to be
straightforward, conscientious and
comprehensive bill-well suited TO the
needs of the state. Texas wants set
tiers, a larger population to occupy her
broad acres, to build up her towns, TO
support her railways, tc increase her
trade and to develop her resources.
TO offer her public lands at rate
that would attract settlers from the
Northern states, and the Western
world, would appear sound policy. /
regard the bill then as an index Of
progress, reducing chaos into q system
OF unity, providing for an influx OF in
Farms for the Million had hoped
| NOhAh h0Np btNAi III WIZ
market places of the Old World, by
active agents, authorized TO spread
the COED news far and wide, telling
the tillers of the soil OF the lands in 40
or $40 acre lots waiting to be converted
into farms and homesteads at the cost
of two days labor lin the states) for
one acre of land, and then literally
liberalized, a generation of thirty years
to pay forit. Compare the conditions
with the legislative acts relating to the
vacant crown lands of Australia,
passed under the same circumstances
which have led the Lawmakers OF
Texas to take action.
In the history and development OF
colonies and statea, there Is ever "A
transition going on. The aborigines
give place TO the pioneers, the herds
men TO the ploughmen, the squatter to
the settler. OF course the former Is
opposed TO the intrusion OF the latter.
With his tiocks and herds he has been
covering the country, exploring every
creek and securing every waterproof,
and to a certain extent he has bene-
fitted the country by trampling in the
earth and feeding or burning oil the
coarse rank heritage. A country which,
when II IL first stocked, is sometimes
unhealthy with malaria, fever and
ague, becomes after few years stock
ing, healthy. The sheep or cattle
trample and solldify the ground, 30
that the water drains readily Off, and
there Ia no miasma arising from de-
cayed vegetable matter In the same
manner water holes and creeks, which
fail and dry up the first year they are
used, become in after seasons perma-
nentwater from the sheep or cattle
pudding the banks with their feet and
destroying the rank vegetation Of the
rivers course
The squatter, ther efore, Isl entitled
to consideration for his pioneering eff
forts In opening up new country, and
the benefits his enterprise eonfers on
the district where he locates. He Is
the herald, the advanced guard ofciyil-
ization. But in the march of events,
thousands OF land.seekers follow,
coveting the broad acres occupied by
sheep stations and and cattle ranches.
Hence, both the American and Aus
tralian governments have been neces-
Stated to legislate on the subject, and
endeavor to prevent the lands from
being mOnopolized by companies.
Grazing property in Australia either
consist OF freehold lands, chiefly
purchased from the state, or of lease
= hold lands, which are still the proper
/ ty OF the crown, and for which the
government OF the day receives rent.
There are two modes Of acquiring the
freehold. One consists la ap-
plying to the land department for
certain portions OF waste land.
/. to be put up or exposed for sale by
l. auction. After certain notice, and the
: survey by government licensed sur.
veyors OF the land In question, IL Is
. advertised, and upon certain day sold
to the highest bidder. The ''upset
price" or that fixed by law below
o which no land can be cold, IL bid by
the intending purchaser. 1t rarely
happens that any advance is made, as
the purchaser is required to pay IN
i oash soon after the fall Of the hammer
:. There are cheaper ways of buying
o aud purchase at auction Is generally
% the resort of the wealthy buyer who
,, for certain reasons is determined L,
:, possess himself of the land in question
= regardless OF price. Formerly the
1. upset price was fixed at 81 or SIS pe,
u acre, the same as in New Zealand. Il
20 has lately been raised to So. %. In
:. New South Wales the most fayorabl,
a conditions exist for acquiring m,
J, free hold under the statute. Viotori,
y 20, No. l; The applicant has, undel
a. the operation OF this act, TO "peg out, =,
y or TO mark by "blazlng,n the bark o
4, those treea which grow near tie cor
8 ners OF his prospective estate, sucl
., farm rs he desires, He may do thl
r rudely and approximately; ne IL tram
u, melted by few technical restrictions
o. IL IL land selection before survey and
" as such, Is not needed to be- precise
y He may step out so many yards n
es breadth and length as he supposed /,
< be roughly indicative of the area
- whether forty acres, which Is tn,
N smallest, or $40 acres, which IA Ia,
y largest quantity which can be free se
cs lectedr M the colonial phrase runs. a
y occupied rs conditional purchased
10 in official language.
y The Dutch Beers in the Transyaa
y country south Africa, where / wa
~ travelling among them, surveyed o.
10 measured their farms OF three thou
/ ~ 4. ~.