Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-04

psrtlcnlafs. would repeal Il altogether
II would avoid tho errors. II possible, n
the new law j would give these lands <
the control Of no board OF state Official.
having other departments end other i'm
portant duties u is evident the landl
are valuable for pastursge and viii b
leased unless we yield our right 20 pos
session and use. No one doubts the lands
are used for great protlt and that i i
worth while to place them In the contro
OF a competent person or persons 10 com
bel the use Of them 20 pay the state, who
I Il trustee for our children: for such use
III do not sec that any great
code Of land law Is required
What Is required Is TO assert the public
right, and In few plain instructions to
7 the proper officer direct the manner by
which that right shall be maintained.
/ / feel certain there Is no danger of the
evils OF land monopoly you refer TO from
< a leasing system that allows tho leased
! land 70 be settled by the farmers pending
I the lease. The advance Of the army OF
men with the plow aud the hoe win not
I be checked by wire fences, when the law
J permits and encourages them 10 push on
I and occupy the lands. They have not in
/ this Western country been retarded by
the savage Indian, and with law and
right at their back will not stop at the
wire fences But would protect the
lessee also, and believe some such pro-
visions mentioned before, executed with
rigor and perfect impartiallty, would not
develop any conflict between lessee aud
settlers
Reporters You think the rate has some
thing 10 do with the lands. ! see. Now, Is
not 6 or or even 10 cents a low rent?
Col Swain IL IL a low rent, aud | do
not believe the rate would be regarded If
not coupled with the conditions the law
prescribes, aud the condition negatives
the presumption that the lessee can hold
for given time. II the lessee could be
assured Of any permanency in his leases
or the possession Of the same, there
would DC no trouble to gebsfrom o TO 20
cents per acre. The stockman has very
little fear, one would suppose, OF strag
Cling settler or two, but sometimes, and
It Is getting more frequent in the Western
country, settlers come into section of
country in great numbers and In a
few years spread over large districts
Such q wave would destroy the value of
the lessee's Improvements, which may
have cost great deal of money. 1t
would leave him with stock for which he
would have no range The lessee with
the actual settlers right which might be
sprung upon him at any day, would be q
poor business man to pay as much for a
lease that might not last through the first
winter, as he would II assured possession
for even year.
Reporter; You think II assured uDin-
terrupted possession during the term OF
the lease, the stockman would voluntarily
lease at the rates you mention.
Col Swain; | would never approve a
law or lease 10 give uninterrupted possess
sion for a term of years as long as set
tiers want the lands. So the question Is
not relevant; what | mean 10
say Is that as we do not
propose to give uninterrupted possession
we can not expect TO get the full lease
value OF the lands. / think we
can get the lands leased at about cents
an acre, and at that rate the lessee will be
less disposed TO make trouble with the
settlers than II he had paid more;
and | also believe the user OF the
land would at that rate be more
prompt TO make leases. Anyway,
If he would not pay that rate would
take possession and exclude him from
Its use or open II to the use Of all who
might desire TO come upon It, mean by
the above remark that when parties have
taken possession of the public-school
land by fencing or line-rliing TO the ex-
cluslon of the general pubic, | would
open II up to the public alike II the user
did not pay for II.
Reporter What policy would you sug-
gest in regard TO the pententlary affairs
so that the couvicts Will be self-sustain
ing and at the same time not come In con-
llict with labor OF the state.
Col, Swain; | would endeavor to
provide penitentlarles in which to
conilnc every convict. believe
ing In prison as well as they
can In camps and railway cars; our state
has no means of sustaining or even shell.
terlng the 1925 conyicts inside prisons
nowi but provision should be made for
them. There has been a dearth OF
labor In Texas heretofore. The de-
maud for all kinds of labor has
been greatly In excess of the supply, but
that condition is rapidly changing. No
one can doubt the policy then Of with
drawing seryile labor from conflict with
free labor. | would urge the building of
additional penitentiaries, as many as re-
qulrod and as speedily as the crcum-
stances would permit without increasing
taxation. Until this is done would con.
tine as many as can possibly be worked
within the walls OF the two penitontiaries,
and would withdraw those now working
ON railways from that service. | object
to the system OF working conyicts on
the outside ON account OF the facility
1t offers for escape and the trouble It
causes In vicinity OF the farms and camps.
would not be willing TO see the people
taxed to support the convict In idleness,
as long rs they can be utilized upon
farms. | also think the number OF felony
convictions can be reduced by u change In !
our criminal laws, Such change as con. !
templatod would reduce the number of |
offenses to misdemeanors, aud such con- |
victs might be utilized In the counties TO |
work on aud Improve the county roads.
am also In favor of establishing reior-
matory for youths under seventeen years |
ot age who may be convicted Of felony |
These suggestions, well observed IN the
detail, would, | think, remove the emhar- !
EASEMENT attending the management OF the
Reporters Would you establish |
a. N...sa 40 49,. "a