The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-01-14

, | high enough. And the State levies her a.
, lat the same valuations, and hence Oni'
half the tax Is paid to The State this count!
ought TO have paid. The Central Texa
county pays taxes to the State upon ~
| nssessed valuation Of 80 cents on the dollar
while the West Texas county pays taxes &
the State upon an assessed valuation o
200 cents on the dollar.
In such case the one has paid fuul
times the State tax the other has paid
upon the same true and real value OF the
property. West Texas Is stock farming
country, and the sooner our laws are
framed recognizing this fact, the sooner
will general prosperity smile upon US.
One OF the most serious drawbacks u
our material prosperity in West Texas IL
what we may term gambling In futures"
More than three years ago land was pur-
chased, and sufficient actual settlement
had to entitle the owner to a patent or to
sell to another without further actual set
Element and hereafter all this is sold for
SO much bonus" the purchaser never IN
tending to really pay 1t out at the original
price sold by the State. No man can sue
| cessfuily contend that this condition Is
healthy one. The strongest reason for a
change is that SO long as this policy Is
Icontinued, no lapse OF time Will cure 1t,
! but continually augments the trouble anu
the injury. The State might give her lands
| away or soil at d nominal figure and time
| would cure the injury in great part.
| business man Will see. at q glance, that SO
long as this policy is continued, land values
| will never be fixed, and q man owning
| property in that section Will never know
what his property Is worth, for the value
of 1t will largely depend upon what price
and upon what terms the State will throw
her lands upon the market.
Again. where is the business man Who
would contend that all the lots in city
regardless OF location were of the same.
value. and fix prices accordingly. and rent
or lease rates accordingly. Yet the State
OF Texas does this very ching. Lands re-
gardless Of location sell and lease AZ one
OF two prices. To remedy these detects in
the law. senate bill No.p375 was drawn by
Senator Turney of FL Paso and myself and
If any one Is sufficiently interested In II
to desire copy it may he obtained from
the secretary of state, as It was "eported
favorably and ordered printed Its provi-
sions in general way are Us follows;
First three lines are drawn in a somewhat |
zig-zag course through the State their gem
eral direction being north and south. thus
dividing the State into four different parts |
The lands lying east of line One are sold |
at Sl.5O per acre, except dry grazing land.
which is to be sold Mt not less than 81 % !,
per acre. to actual settlers only. ANY ac-
tual settler may buy as much is six Sec
tons two of which may be agricultural,
provided the lands so bought are wilhin
a radius of FIVE miles OF him. These lands
may be leased subject to sale ut not less
than AZ cents per acre.
The lands lying between lnea ono and
two tgong SOUTH shall be sold at not less
than 81 per acre TO actual settlers only.
ANY person who Is an actual settler may
purchase not to exceed eight sections. pro-
Nihed they are within n radius of SIX miles
OF his residence. These lands may be leased
SUBJECT to sale Mt not less than 4 cents per
acre.
All above lands are sold ON thirty-six
years time. Onetenth of the purchase
price TO be paid down. and the other nine
cnths to he paid in thrty-sx annual in | {
'tallments. per cent interest. A failure c
% paw any installment of principal; or in, c
eresl for six months will ipso .acto work ]
iorleithre and tho lands shall be again Q
out upon the market. Y
All the lands lying between lines two
md three shall be sold ut rs cents rer
ere, to aty citizen of Texas. in Quantities v
lot to exceed twenty-five sections. payable :.
ne-tenth down and the balance in ten an
, ~, ins.siiments, with like forfeiture
iauSe. These lands NAV be leased an ~ G
epts per acre. subject 10 safe a, any time n
Al the lands west of line three shall be Il
ola NJ oO cents pcr acre. upon same terms j
$ the 75-cent land ana this Lard nav ha S
'hsea at . cents ner lcre, subject 10 sale +
any citizen of Texas. If IN actual settler ii
ants to buy any OF the 75-ee1t land or +ba N
)-cent lands he may 10 so mon the sams r,
me allowed the purchaser of The lands NJ
ist OF line one and lying between lines enc M
nd two. ~ ~
This bill is not radical enough In IN. fa
auction In price, but after consultation pl
ith many influential members of the a
gislatuie. 1t was thought that This re-
letlon would be agreed to- while to in n,
81 upon lower sum would ieopardize the
'ssage of any bill to reduce the price. In ..
very few years the price may be reduced
ter all the lands really worth the price VI VI
'med are sold. Every two years a reduc- do
IN. of 10 per cent could be had without re
wing any forfeitnres of the more yalua- |
lands, sold in prior rears. since these tn
rmer purchasers VIII have paid on the lrl
incipal too much to make it profitable NO
forfeit and repurchase. ~,
~ Is plain that in the course of a com in.
rtiveiy short time Texas would indeed ov
We her domain actually sold, and she -,
'nid be ont OF the land business, ~
'ieh anu then only. will prices become ~.
eu ana The pioneers o. West Texas. who. pr
lhelr foftitude, endurance and persist q,
, west. NAV Li'n. ui iai i' interests In co,
". ana viii hereafter reascnal ". be r,e'
rtn. Ihen, and then only. viii the West POS 20,
sas commissioners .ourt be able 10 fix a 10
".e IN keepihs with our friends further ~ e
~ anu vel De able TO raise a sufficient -,
ehue to run the county government sur
20, ana then only, VIII our West TEXAS pre-
n'ies be able TO contract for their sun
p as cheaply as ,he mere prospero,,s $40
mites further east. 'ospetous den
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