Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-18

nopolize the necessities OF life, The
extent to which this has already been
carried ~ alarming. the extent to
which II may hereafter be carried Ia
revolutionary. Indeed the evils OF ag-
gregated wealth are no where seen in
more odious form. IL no student can
light his lamp without paying tribute
TO one company. II no houselSeeper can
buy II pound OF meat or sugar without
swelling the receipts of two or three
all7pervading trusts, what Is to prevent
the entire productive industry OF the
country becoming ultimately absorbed
by hundred gigantic corporations?'
1t Ia well known that the heaviest
charges against the state In the matter
of fees are those paid as fees In felony
cases. Those have grown enormously
In recent years. From March l. 1888.
TO March 1, 1855. the appropriation fol
witness fees in such cases was only
A0,24o. while the appropriation for this
purpose from 1898 TO 1926 was $3.50 900.
From 1883 to 1885 the appropriation for
fees OF sheriff., clerks and attorneys
was s575,000, and from 1895 TO 1925 II
WAS SSh0.0O0 No general Zee hill reduce
ing and limiting the fees ot county and
district officers was passed. but great
relief was given by separate bills which
reduced the grade OF theft OF property
OF the value OF twenty to fifty dollars
from felony TO misdemeanor. amended
tne PROCESS OF sunpOenh, WHICH VIII re-
luce the number OF attachments issued.
United the fees of prosecuting attor-
ieys In forgery cases, reduced the fees
of sherlffs for attaching witnesses, and
reduced the fees OF prosecuting attor-
neys where the defendant Ia sent to the
reformatory. These laws reduced eN-
penditures $1sS, 600 for tho year 1895, MS
shown by the report OF the comptroller.
The mcritoriouA and deser Ping cause
OF labor WAS not neglected. In its
interest n general arbitration act was
passed providing for the amicable i'd
justment Of industrial grievances
wcrltingmcn and unions os Working
men We're protected in their labels.
trademarks, designs and forms OF nd
ver.ising; and when personal injuries
are received by workingmen rot re-
sulting IN death the right to damages
now survives to their wives mud chill
dren and is not lost by their death, as
formerly.
\ year ago the delinquent tax list,
Including ad valorem. school and poll.
exceeded two million dollars The fall
urc to pay taxes results from tine eA-
acting requirements of the courts as TO
description OF land In assessments and
advt easements. and inefficient cdllee-
ton laws. The injustice OF casting up
on portion OF the population the en-
tire burden of government is plain,
and to remedy this and to require MI
10 pay their just share the legislnt-
ure has smplihed the description OF
land in assessments and provided more
efficient collection agencies. These
laws have been enforced since May
md have operated benchrlally. From
May ! to December 81. 1899, the state
tax collected IN redemption OF proper
| ty in round numbers was $l2.S0o, for
the same period IN 1894 the amount
was Si950O. and In 1895 II was $40, 700
an increase under present laws OF 10
per cent as compared with 1891. The
| delinquent county taxes collected have
Increased In like proportion.
Several laws were passed looking
to the Investment and protection OF
foreign capital and development OF
our natural resources, such as those
| pertaining to life insurance companies,
| aiming deep water channels on the
coast, drainage aud irrigation. These
laws are being acted upon with good
results, When It Is recalled that dur
| Ing the past three years foreign HE
Insurance companies have taken our
! OF the state net premiums amounting
TO seven million dollars, the people VIII
welcome home companies now being
| organized under the law. A dlstin-
| rulshed citizen of Western Texas said
| in letter to mo OF the Sth inst;
1.-THE irrigation law passed by the
| Twenty-fourth legislature has given
now hope TO Western Texas. In many
localities. notably Mt San Saba, Rrown-
| wood. Abilene and Wichita Falls, the
| progressive have been and are now
| actively at work trying to shape local
| conditions to meat the requirements
| OF capital. believe that many OF the
ventures will meet with carly success
In general terms /. may be said that
! the land now owned by the state W
| less valuable than that already natent-
ed, because 1t is the remnant of sclec-
| lions covering half n century. Parity.
at least, because cf this, when the
| legislature convened II was met with
| the condition that purchasers ana les
| sees OF public land were forfeitlng
| their claims and defaulting In the pay
mant of interest In unprecedented NUM-
| berg. This Indicated that the price of
| the land for lease or purchase, as Wen
| as the rate of interest, was greater than
| conditions In the west would justify.
| II was thought that a reduction In
these would stimulate a disposition OF
tho land at q fair price and assist In
the development OF that section. Ac-
| cordingly, while the price OF aErlcult-
ural and watered land remains as
| heretofore under the new law pasture
land has been reduced to one dollar
| per acre, Leases to three cents and in
| tereet to three per cent. The opera
| tion OF the law tustlhes the change
| A comparison OF the sale and lease OF
| land for the months OF August. Scptem
|
| 1891. with the same months for 1885
when the new law was In force. shows
that sales for the former period amount
| ed TO 1Oi,530 acres for s217,9l2.75, and
| for the latter TO 397. $50 acres for f4g3,-
| 3s400 an increase Of 292,s56 acres and
s275,47i 20. Leases for tie former perl
| Cd amounted to is6.0SO acres for sia,-
4is.20, and for the latter TO 2,lbi6G7
| q, res for s6i. 1901, an incrase OF L.
ses,bS7 acres and s5O.05T6l. The law
also provides q more effective method
| Of collecting interest with which the
| public schools are maintained.
The reduction OF expenditures by the
| Twenty-fourth legislature In the gener-
al appropriation bill ~ notable and de
serves your highest commentator. II
shows a reduction Of expenses In ev-
cry department OF the government eS-
cept the Colored Deaf. Dumb and Blind
| arylums. University, Agricultural and
Mechanical college. Prairie View
Normal school. penitentiaries and house
OF correction and laboratory. Tho
re lpction VIII more Clearly appear by
comparing tie total general approprin.
tions with those made by the Twenty
third legislature
Year ending Feb. 2s. 1891. .,e.6si,177.5b
Year ending Feb. %, 1885,. 2,9i5.772.bo