The Red Cloud chief., 1897-10-22

saving n great deal Of money to the
state, and was rendering the farming
community valuable services. And
row that Mr.. Wolfe has had his inning
and his advertising through the press
It is only fair to enquire just what has
been its effect upon the public pocket
aud upon the farming community
which is Interested in the school lands.
TO understand the situation as IL was
when Laad Commissioner Wolfe com.
menced his reform ut the beginning Of
the year, We should bear in mind that
from 1890 to the presert year, the oc-
cupsnts Of school lands as tenants an
der the state were no more able, by
reason of drouths and hard times, to
pay their annual rentals to the state.
than were other tenants farmers able
to pay their rentals. During these
years OF short crops and low prices
these tenants we're unable to pay, and
it was the duty of the state TO nurse
them along and to keep them on the
lands until such time as they would be
able to pay. This was the policy under
republican administration, for republi.
cans understood that IL would be dis.
astrous to crowd these tenants when
they had no money and there could he
nothing CARED by removing tbem
from the lands and driving them from
the state. The land could not have
been released. There was no demand
for land. Now, there accumulated
during the years an Indebtedness to
the state against these leases Of $500
600. How 10 collect this Indebtedness
was the problem which should have
been in the mind of Commissioner
Wolfe when he entered upon his office.
However, under this new law, he can.
GELS and throws away this SiG0,0 0s
without any attempt TO collect 1t. This
$500, 900 is a total loss. With 2 flourish
Of trumpets and much newspaper ad.
yertising the land commissioner has
succeeded in collecting $1,000 as pay.
mcnts on new leases, with 81, 800 as
bonuses. Hs has thrown away 800.
000, a large part Of which could have
been collected, and in lieu thereof has
collected %0,S0U On new leases. He
cancels the leases on 1GG, 1S0 acres,
throws away TGO, 900 due the school
fpnd III the state, collects in lieu Of
this $40, 500. and call this business. Had
eHe man in forty paid up his back rent
on this school land, the amount would
haye sgualed all he bouus money.
Had 80 per cent of tho old lc~asehold0rs
retained their farms and paid regular
rent in the future tho amount would
over balance that which will be re-
ccives on the leases. This reform land
commissioner seems to have been
about as costly an experiment as the
reform Spvsrnor's approval of Bartley's
worthless bond. But from an exami.
nation of the records at the state house
IL sees,s that the majority Of t,e new
leases were secured by the old lease.
holders. The sShoOl.land tenant far
mers seem to have been about as Gun.
ming in = land deal az the reform land
commissioner IL in his reform politics.
Each one Of them had 4 friendly
neighbsr to bid in the land and then
transfer the lease TO him. Does q far
mer who has had q tenant in arrears
for rental cancel the old lease, forgive
the old debt, and then release the
land to the Same party! Or does he
not rather hold the tenant to the old
contract and then as fast as poss sible
collect the old rent money. Bear in
mind, the land commissioner has req.
resented through his advertising in the
press that he has saved money to the
state. The land commissioner is the
business agent OF the state. 1t is his
business to collect the money due the
state, not to cancel the debt. 1t WAS by
means OF this double-shufte act that j.
II. Edmistsa, chairman OF the populist
state committee dim. nammed the
state out Of four and one.half years.
rent on some land in Dawson county
and still holds the land. Commissioner
Wolfe calls dis reform. Mr.. Edmisten,
parading himself at the populist head.
quarters nowadays instead Of attend.
ing to his business at the state house, is
full ef eulogics for Land Commissioner
Wolfe, and ne is sending out literature
under state house postage urging the
taxpayers to rally onc more for re.
form. La hundreds of cases under
this auction scheme i%naugurated by
Uncle Jake" G leases ON well i'm.
proved farms went without bidders,
asd on the books the land is still marx
ed vacant. 1t means that the man
who occupied 4 farm like this had such