Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-03-07

SPRINGFIELD. March 7-Governor Alt
geld has called the attention of the legis-
lature to what he thinks an abuse in the
matter of school land leases, and ut the
same time tackled the Chica 20 newspaper
press in one of its strongest publications.
He takes for his text the proposition to re-
value school land leases, and gets in a
number of digs at ''the enemy" while show
Ing that there is something wrong with
the way the leases are let. He says that
''waving the flag with one hand and
plundering the public with the other is n
form of patriotism that is getting to be
entirely too common" and closes with an
appeal to the legislature to abolish the
law under wh ch the proposed reappraise-
ment must be made. The document ex-
cited much amazement and more hilarity.
The legislator, like the rest of the world,
loves fight, and The Tribune is coed
fighter. Lively times are expected when
the matter comes up for debate.
Some Leases Are ScIt Snaps.
The governor says: ''In some portions
of the state, particularly in Chicago, there
arc very valuable lands which belong to
was intended to maintain the public
schools Some OF the most valuable land
in the heart of that city is of this char
acter Besides numerous other pieces,
there is the entire block bounded by Dear
born, Madison, State and Monroe streets.
Years ago all school lands were leased by
the board of education to various parties
for long term. but with the provision
that there should DC a revaluation every
five years and that the rent should De
per cent per annum on this valuation.
. RrvalGations have been had from
time to time, each much higher than the
former but the lCssccs, many of whom
are prominent citizens, have been able to
exert such an influence that the rent pro-
duced by this ground has always been far
below that paid for ground belonging 20
private individuals in the same locality,
and no more desirable"
An Instance in Point.
The governor gives this as an instance
where a lessee got very soft thing in
deed: For example, the southwest cor
ncr of State and Madison streets is the
most valuable corner in the city. The lot
is 4SxS0 and leased by Mr.. Otis. who pays
Sl5, l2O year rental on the ground and no
value yet he sublets it at a rental which.
after paying the ground rent and ali ex
penscs. nets him over SAC, 900 per year. As
this is due to the value of the ground
most Of this sum should go to the school
fund. The southeast corner of Dearborn
and Madison streets is leased to the Chi
cago Tribune company. The ground is
12X1.0 feet, and at present pays rental
of Only SIS, 900 year, while on the oppo-
site corner, diagonally across Dearborn
street, piece of ground 20xi0 feet, hav-
ing only 800 square feet, is rented at an
annual sum OF $4,000. in addition to the
taxes, which at present amount to s., 22io.
bringing the annual cost of the ground to
ove- 81, 0U0.''
Gives the Newspapers a Whack.
After showing that the block just across
the street from this very valuable one
owned ny the school fund pays double the
rental-in addition to taxes-that the
school block does the governor proceeds:
at is found that the owners of four great
daily newspapers hold leases of school
lands. Three of these papers are actually
published on school land, and it has hap
pened that in the past when certain men
made a strong effort to compel the pay
ment OF fair rent on this land they were
made targets of abuse by at least one of
these newspapers" He then notes the
fact tha: the board of education used to
name all three appraisers, but now names
only one, the other two being selected by
| two judges of court, who, while they will
always be honest and able, yet experience
has shown that, as a rule, judges are as
sensitive to newspaper influence as other
\ men -