The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-11-18
COMMISSIONERS STEPHENS
REPORT TO THE LAND BOARD.
The school Land DepSrtmant-Leasin
the school Lands--saiss to Actual
Settlers Only : Free Grass.
Revenue from School
Land Enclosure act.

Land AOaru.
It's necessary that our land laws be
changed. I submit, in eaunso;lon
with my reportsny visws and suggss.
/ tons as TO needed romsdias. rbs
school lands arc worth more than
$4,000 goo, and tbs subject is ono OF
great importance 10 tAe peoplo ana
should be fully discussed ana uuder.
stood by slli and my suggestions sra
made with that objectin view.
SCHOOL LARD DEPARTMENT.
This department, now uuder tae
management Of the State land board
should be separate and distinct 40.
parsment, under O commissioner
slsctsd by the people, who should man.
age, control and supervise tho leeae
ana sale OF oil the public Lands and
such other business as may necessarily
be connected with the school AND pub
lie lands OF the State, under Laws en-.
acted for the control and management
of this department., which should
definitely prescribe tao duties per-
formed IN this department. This il
rapidly becoming one OF the most
important departments OF .ha
State, goyernmenF, and although
1t has only been ia exit
enco two years and 1ggs created ma an
experiment., tho receipts received mn.
nually from sales, leasoe and inlereet
on school land obligations emonnt 70
f5CO,G0O, and with the necessary ecbool
land laws, With authority end bower
to enfofcs them, not less theu 81 O0nOO0
more can annually ha added TO tha|
reealpts OF this dopartmBpt ana when
plaeed under tho management OF q
commistlo1 or charged Win The r9-
sponslbslty OK the management OF the
oinoe and ail school land business,
then this department. Will receive and
pay iDto The State trsasuTy more
money annually than any other ia.
partment OF the State government.
More responsibility viii r6st with the
school Land commissioner than apy
other; the duties Of thes officer win bs
ali thht o0a nlau can afford
TO, anu no Ohio labor or duty
should ever be required Of
himi Tor lis whole time aid attention
ahouid 30 directed TO the school land
nusineas and the management Of that
Vast and growing inherent, The COM
missioner OF the general Land office
now has all he can manage and do jus.
.ioe To that department, and 20 in
crease and buraen the CCmmissioner
OF that Office with the sei9 and leaao OF
the school lands viii be requiring
more OF him than h8 can edd Will do. |
wren department officer IS hardened |
with more work than he can find time
TO attend TO, the interest OF tho State
is certain Do suffer, Ii this busiuess
nhopld be placed under tho mirage
ment q ne land Office nothing would |
90 saved, because the pame number of
men ena employees vii! be required to
handle tao bnsiness ss i. under q |
separate department, ana tae result
would bo h. lesssA tho
responsibility. The school land de-
partmont, II mansgad by q commits
slonor vested and clothed with author
ity to control and direct its affairs, can
DC made almost, If not quite, self.Nus-
tanning by charging certain ibes fixed
by law for all work done by tho do
partment for parsous having business
with that othce. Under the present
system theYo is no law authorizing tho
land board department to charge gGes
for work done. AL business pertain
Ing TO school lands should DO placed
directly under tbs school land depart.
ment. As It now is it takes three de-
partmeuts to manage 1t. Land books
and accounts are kept by tho treas
urer, the land board and land office.
Two bookkeepers 0re Kept in tho tleas-
ury department. on land matters vt C.
salary OF 81, 400 each. and one assiatant
pookkeeper az Is salary OF
$500 and three additional
land clsrka at G salary OF $1,000 eaoh.
Tho lepd board has one bookkeepor
and one assistant, al a sGlary OF 81, 200
each, end five clsrks, two st 5000 and
three at Sl,201 each. Tho bookkeepats
ana clerks III tho treasury sh0ull be-
placed under the school land depart
Eaent and the business would he more
satisfactory and lSsS expensive. As Il
10 sc present, the business necessarily
mast be conducted ia this manor, bat
the Legislature should REMEDY 10. lh6
expenses OF the land board arc paid
out OF money collected fiOm tho school
lands, and all clerks and employees on
school land matter should bu paid In
tho seao way and not out Of the gem
oral revenue. The commissioner Of
this department sheuld have some dis
crttionary authority 20 prevent frauds
in the absence Of laws, because IL is
not In the wisdom OF any Legislature
to enact laws that will cover all land
questions and prevent frauds.
LOCAL STATE AGRNTs
should DO appointed by the commits
sioner OF the school land department
and assigned certain districts, and
such districts should be created by
law fer the local management Of the
school land IN their districts, with
certain powers prescribed by law
to prevent frauds upon tho State, aud
to regulate AID adjust certain ques-
tions between the sotusl settler and
the lessee. They should protect 8ot-
tiers and email stockmen from VIC.
lence and intimidation from The
wealthy, and see that tho latter
are not blnckmelled aud imposed upon
by tho actual settlers or small stock
aen. The duties and powers
given these agents should DO plainly
and definitely defined by law. Tho
agents should DO paid IN ioon OF Office
and tho laws should prescribe the
fees 10 bo charged for oil kinds OK
work done. They should have access
TO or even control of the surveyors Of
ice, gnd should keep maps and platg
OF all tho land IN their districts and
abstracts from records so 0s TO be more
readily able to point out lands 20 I'M
migrants for purchase or lease, ana
TO receive the moneys for all sales or
leases and forward 10 tho school land
department. They should DO under
tho control OF tho commissioner OF the
school land department and subject to
such rules ana regulations
rs he may prescribe not
i'm contect with tho laws OF the
state, rhe protection Of tho school
lands from fraudulent purchase, the
conflicting Hnt clsshing OF interests
between tho ANAL aud wealthy man,
and tho actual settler and the stock
man, tho great trouble aud expense
that the immigrant has TO labor under
to procure him home, ell OF which 1
have fully described In my reports,
are chiefly the reasons assign Tor the
appointment OF these agents. Through
them the lands would DO protected;
the country moro rapidly settled and
greater satisfaction 10 tho people and
security guaranteed TO the property OF
the State. These Agents should 10