The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-30
AS TO STATE rIMRER.

Judge Rogan, commissioner OF the gem
eral land office, this evening expressed
himself for publication as recited below.
I Statements emanatins from Beaumont
have been sent out in substance as fol-
/ lows:
l /. That the State has placed stumpagc
value OF $40 per acre on pine timber owned
by the public school fund.
2. That as result the syndlcates which
in East Texas will shortly raise their
prices about 200 per cent or within bit
OF the States price.
3. That the action OF the commissioners
will cause Timber to advance So per
thousand.
4, That it will take the timbered school
land off the market.
In reply. | beg TO state;
That the pint timber belongs to the
school children of Texas. and all money
realized from sales thereof is applied to-
wards their education The State has not
priced It's timber at $40 per acre stumpage,
only in such cases where the commissioner
has no data upon which a more equitable
valuation can be made.
lily information is tnat pine timber In
Louisiana, Florida, Maine and Michigan.
Is about exhausted; that other States
must necessarily look to Texas for lum-
Der; that large quantities OF lumber are
now Using daily sent from our East Texas
mills to Mexico. Europe and the West
india islands; that by reason OF the fact
that the supply of timber has been nearly
exhausted in other States. there has been
steady advance by the mills IN the price
OF lumber. although until recently they
have purchased the children's timber from
the State at the uniform price OF so cents
per thousand feet stumpage; that Boston
and Chicago capitalists, realizing the
scarcity of pine timber in other States,
are trying. through their agents In Texas.
TO purchase from the State In quiet way.
all the school timber al a nominal sum.
and then levy a tribute on the people for
as much as they can endure. Acting upoli
this Information. and finding that the
State Was selling the childrcn's timber TO
syndicates and great corporations al
price much lower than It's value and lower
than others were selling their timber In
the same counties. raised the price Of
the school timber from 10 cents 10 40 1
cents and so cents per thousand feet I
stumpage.
Therefore, II lumber Is advanced So per
thousand feet II was because Of no action /
taken by the State, but from a combina-
tIOp on the part OF the mill ownere. \
Neither did the advance OF timber from /
20 cents TO 70 cents and 90 centE per 4
thousand feat stumpage have the effect OF
the State timber from the mar
set, because on the very day ! advanced
he price | sold 100000 worth Tor cash.
Ind since that time other applications have
Been filed 10 purchase other timber az the
iame price.
II this timber Is 10 pass from the State
nto other hands whose purpose Is 70 adj
fance the price when they get Il. then IL
hall be my purpose TO zee that the school
hildren shall reap some benefit from Il.
In addition TO the above. the commits
loner stated that he bad been Informed
hat In some cases lesstes OF school lands
AVE removed and disposed OF timber
,rowing thereon. Information Of this
ind will. be says. be traced down and II
ound correct. cancellation OF the leases
y the offending parties will follow and
teps win be taken for their prosecution.