Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-10
THE LEASE REPUDLAT'ED By THE
LAND SYNDICATES.

The New York and Texas Land Com
pany is one OF the heaviest land owners
in Texas. It's holdings in the state en-
brace the Houston and Great Northern
and international and Great Northern
Railway grants, aggregating, after de-
ductng sales, about 100000 Of acres,
which, for the most part, lie in sections
alternating with school lands in the Pan
handle. Applications were recently
made by rangemen to the agent
Of the company to lease large
quantities of these lands, and
on being referred TO his principals we're
rejected. Having determined that the
time has come to sell its lands, the CON-
pany refuses to clog It's own efforts in
that direction, with double ointed al
Tentative policy, which both repels the
actual settler and discourages the range
industry. The New York and Texas Land
Company is not the irst Of the land syn
dicetes to lead OFF in reputation Of the
leasing as revenue system. For several
months the Houston and Texas Central
Railwsy has only been making
leases which practically were
nothing more than grazing
privileges from day to day. Such a
policy virtually amounted to with
drawal Of its lands from lease, fo- the in
ducement to the cattlemen to lease on
such terms is so small that but few have
availed themselves of the doubtful priv
ilege. The two companies mentioned
own together, perhaps, near 100000
acres Of land, scattered over the Panhsn-
die in checker board fashion. Their atti-
tude puts an effective estoppel upon
the operations of the stste lease
law SO far as 1t might affect the school
lands alternating with the possessions of
the two companies. The pasture man
might as we'll he tail OF q comet for
grazing purposes as to secure an sbso-
lutte lease OF the black spots of a terri
torisl checker board. An absolute lease
is only valuable as an exclusive lease.
That would be scene for statesmen to
contemplate, should actual settlers hold
ing under the syndicstes be pitted against
the lessees of the state, but happily such
a Notifying spectacle will be averted by
the prompt and emphatic reputation by
the land companies Of the leasing system.
They will not lease, hence the state can"
not lease within their boundaries.
1t will be difficult for the friends Of the
lease law lobby to give 8 satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION Of this action on the part of |
two large land syndicates, which will |
avert the suspicion that, after all
the noisy defamation about the
children's grass, the lease system
is least calculated OF 81 |
policies proposed and pursued to pro-
duce respectable revenue to the school
fund. 1t is hardly necessary to affirm
that the New York and Texas Land Com
pany is not Stree grass" corporation,
and that it has no sympathy with "free
grass" ideas. 1t is no libel on the pur-
poses and aims OF the company to assert
that it is conducted for revenue only, 1t
did not reject the ducsts Of the pasture
men to further any political scheme. It
has no candidates for Cong&ss;
It's sole mission is to SO mansgs and dis
pose of mighty domain as to best co1E
'erve It's own selfish interests. 4<eourse
ieseryes the careful study Of those
. =: sns :. 3striots who are SO anxious :
it'll Sne ne tnU
sgons on street