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

Laws should remedy this and make the
land more easy of requirement
DRY LANDS.
The greater portion Of the public lnnds
are without water on them, but water can
be procured almost anywhere by sinking
wells with ample supply. II the state
wonld allow 81 per foot for sinking wells
ON dry sections WHOM water is procured, to
be paid out of the money for leases that
IL, to allow this as n credit on the lease
Obligation great number of the dry
land sections would be made more yalua-
Bile. A section of land with q
well of water is worth from
$500 10 5000 more than dry section,
GRASS.
The grass on the school lands Is good
aud valuable, and the turf should be pro-
tectcd. II not protected, IL will TO Il
great extent be destroyed, and the coun-
try grow up in weeds. When large
stockmen are going TO withdraw from
the country they win overstock the land,
in order TO make the most they can out of
IT,, and destroy the grass, and this qucs-
lion Is of more Importance than the
people believe. The grass on $4,000, 600
acres public school lands, at siN cents
per acre, is worth annually Sl,s00,000,
and this should not be overlooked.
ACTUAL SETTLERS,
This question has heretofore wrecked
all land legislation In this state, but
when stripped of Imagination and dclu-
sion, and looked at in plain, business
like manner, II can be solved satisfac-
torily.
IL Is the argument used By iree-grass
advocates that free grass viii not better
the condition or chances OF the actual
/ settler The lease law can be made so II
I will give the actual settler orsmall stock
( man more protection and benefits than u
the couptry was turned over 10 free-graz-
1 Ing, as Is more fully shown under the
| head OF free grass
! ASSESSMENT.
( Not more than bali the personal prop
/ erty IN ms district has been assessed, and
/ take II TO be the same ia other districts.
4 In many cases large stocll-own-
ers have escaped taxation altogether.
Z Some of the assessors Informed me TINT
/ II their tax-rolls were increased 80 per
/ cent. that II would not then be too high.
! IL seems 10 me that the laws as they now
are places the heaviest burden on the
| farmer or small propcrty-bolder, because
all he possesses Is well known ana
can be found, while the schcm'
ing corporations and wealthy capitalists
through the aid Of each other manage
TO keep their property in such shape on
rendering time that IL escapes taxation.
The assessor must take the oath OF the
property owner, and II Is easy for nom
resident corporations 20 ind plant
agent or manager that viii carry out the
viii and wishes Of the concern, and where
this Is done the country suffers. The
honest man pays taxes on all be has, but
tile corporations and wealthy companies
(and they are numcrousJ only pay on n
part Of what they have. Laws TO remedy
this are badly needed. The unorganized
counties should he divided into assossor's
and collectors districts and assessors aud
collectors appointed for each, and II THIS
Is done at least 100000 more revenue
from that section win be annually paid
into the treasury. This IL rDuch-needed
measure.
CLASSIFICATION or THE PUBLIC LANDS
To classify the lands is unnecessary
except TO ascertain the watered lands. II
lands are classified, an effort VIII be-
made to have the state sell her inferior
lands at reduced prices, and If this wa
done spectators would be the CHIEF ben