Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-03

to that OF university lands, presents
contrast which win not be understood by
the public without some explanation. 1t
is perfectly plain, however, when the
circumstances are given, that these re-
suits were inevitable.
The school lands alternating with other
lands were leased largely by the owners
of these alternates. When the present
law took effect the school lands, to a
great extent, were occupied by estab-
lished ranches, whose owners leased
promptly Most of these lands were also
in reach of population and sufficiently
wafered for immediate and profitable use
for stock raising. With the university
lands the conditions are totally different.
They are located in large bodies and in
solid blocks, so that the lessee is COM
PEELED to pay for the whole area appro-
priated to his use, instead of the half as
as is the case with school lands. The
university lands are without permanent
water, and, for the most part, too dis
tant from water to be utilized. They are
also remote from population. Thus the
school lands offering superior induce
ments and attractions, and being more
than sufficient TO supply ali immediate
demands to lease, it is readily perceived
that, under the present conditions, other
results could not reasonably have been
expected.
At present there seems to be no demand
for the purchase of university lands.
Therefore, in order to utilize them for
the purpose for which they have been
segregated, it is necessary to adopt one
of two plans: viz: Either the rental
must be reduced and the term of lease
extended sufficiently to induce private
parties to develop water ana otherwise
put these lands in shape for use, or else
the state must provide the water neces-
sary to make them profitable and avail
able at the price now fixed by law. The
lattersplan is not desirable even if feast
bic at all with safety to the state; hence,
it is with confidence that the recommen-
dation is made that the rental of the
university lands be reduced to cents per
acre per annum, and the maximum term
of the lease extended to ten years. An
other solution still is to place these
lands in the care of the uni
versity authorities. The regents OF the
university are gentlemen in whose hands
the interests of that institution would
doubtless be entirely safe. A careful
consideration Of this matter may suggest
the wisdom of placing the university
lands under such control, by the issuance
of patents to the regents and their sue
cessors IN office. If this is done, how
ever, the rights of actual settlers who
have settled upon and improved any of
these lands with a view of aVailing
themselves of the provisions of existing
laws should be provided for most amply.
Certain of these lands have been occupied
for years by settlers who are awaiting the
determinat "a of questions of title. Such
settlers should be allowed to purchase
upon such terms as, reasonably, they had
a right to expect at the date of their set
tlement.
It is clearly against good public policy
that anyone should be allowed to appro-
pirate to his own exclusive use lands be-
longing to the state without paying for
the same. One object of the lease law Is
to prevent this. But, it is proper,
perhaps, to admit that the chief
object of the lease of the public lands is
revenue. 1t is within the province of
craftsmanship to inquire into the work.
ings and effect of the law up to this time,
with view of safely determining whether
or not the interests of the whole people
and the prosperity of the state may not
be advanced by some modification of the
same. From experience, as stated above,
L
price and extension of term is necessary
to secure the lease of university lands.
Would not a similar reduction of the lease
price of school lands increase the reve-
nues therefrom? Would this reduction
decrease the revenues? If not, then every
argument is on the side of reduction,
and every other consideration demands it.
The welfare of thu western twO-thirdS of
our great state depends largely upon the
prosperity of the stock raising industry
The extreme west has almost no other re-
source available at present. Stock farm
ing, perhaps, Will eventually be the chief
industry of large portions of that section.
This being true, the laws and policy OF
the state should be such as viii encourage
that development to which that section is
adapted 1t were better that the state
should err in the other direction and tenn
porarily loose little revenue rather than
pursue policy which is an incubus and
retards progress and prosperity. The
state may prevent free use and occupancy
of her lands, but she cannot compel
leases; in other words, leases must be
voluntary, and consequently the terms
must be sufficiently attractive to induce
people TO make them. Which terms may
be changed again in future to meet
conditions.
IT'S true that when the present law
took effect many companies, firms and
individuals were compelled to lease
to avoid the penalties which
would have been ruinous and liability
been incurred, but now that all these
have been made, it is, for
the future, simply a question of profit
and advantage to any one who may be
inclined to lease. 1t must also be re-
membered that the 4 cents per acre in
advance now fixed by law is not the only
outlay which the lessee must make to
secure the benefits of his contract with
the state He must fence his land in
order to appropriate it to his own eXclu-
sive use, and this involves an outlay of
from, say, cents to 81 per acre, accord
ing to the area embraced in his
lease. In many cases also he must pro-
vide water by artificial means. The
term of the lease is now fixed at not more
than five years, and for lands classed rs
agricultural at not more than four:
hence, it is seen that the yearly rental
paid the state is, in many instances, but
a small part of the outlay necessary
to secure the privileges enjoyed
These leases are conditional to and
subject to change or annullment |
by the legislature at the end of