Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1899-02-27

poses.
Hence we clearly perceive that it is our
duty to add to the taxable property Of the
State by offering this half million acres
at four per cent. Pass this bill and | ven
ture the prediction that by the time the
Legislature meets again there won't be
10000 acres of the half million acres left
unlpplied for. You all agree with me
that il is wrong to discriminate between
a rich man and a poor one. But let me
show you that we do. An applicant FOR
land that has the money, rather than pay
six per cent on it, pays the State in full
Our State Treasurer invests that money
in a bond and the school fund realizes .
per cent interest III the same. The poor
man, with a family, labOring from early
morn till close of day to make both ends
meet. is not able to pay in full, and while
such az he is the bone ana SineW of the
State, and of the great majority, vet we
make kim pay six per cent, nearly two
and a half times more than we can realize
from the rich mans money. The States
security in the poor mans case is just as
ample AS the rich mans money. WHY
this difference? Why this diScrimina-
ton? Where is our sympathy for the
tOiling masses? Where is our justice?
1t is the duty of this Legislature to seek
permanent Investment for our school
fund. Not one for d few years like that
of bonds, but one for all time. And
where, | ask, can you find a better invest
ment, or a safer one, for this Gund, than
among our own people, here IN own State
and only one dollar loaned upon each
acre and the land forfeited to the State for
that dollar, if the interest is not paid an
|nually?
l am sorry to note that the people have
paid up in full ON 100000 acres. If that
land had been left among the people at
four per cent the school fund would be
receiving about eight thousand dollars
more per year than it is now receiving.
Fortunately we haze 100000 acres left,
which is loaned and to loan to the people.
To leave this land among them we must
not try to gouge them, for they will not
stand ii. They have the remedy in their
own hands. They will pay up as fast as
they can on what lands they most need
"iN Ii' i'0I tHtN Will give 'dth 10 tie
State, as they have already tie half mil
lion acres.
| remember in 1881 when the Lcgi>la-
ture reduced the interest to siX per cent
a State official opposed the reduction and
used this as IN argument: Let the land
holders fort it their lands if they won't
pay ten per cent; and on every forty acre
tract So forfeited We will get an emigrant
settler and his family md thus build up
the State" Well. a half million acres
have been forfeited in the past four years
and | have not heard of a single emigrant
materaliZiug. Many of you who reside
in the thickIy settled counties along the
base of the Sierras from which flow large
sparkling streams, do not realize that the
great bulk of the State lands applied for
lie in the grazing counties, where the land
is rolling and the streams mere rivulets.
and where irrigation is impracticable;
and hence the land j. only tit for grazing
purposes.
1t is a known fact that timber land
owners and the G.. =. r. II. lease the 81
ezra ranges to Stockmen for two cents
per acre. Then how in the uarne of com
mon can the State expect to realize.
in addition to the taxes, six cents per
acr" from the stockmen in our grazing
counties? Reduce the interest to four per
rent. and even then our StOckmen will
have to pay three times more than those
on the SierraS. Now as to the argument
advanced against this bill. that several
amounts Of interest are paid to the State
by persons who reside in California
such as Mr.. GraysOn. the DumphY estate
Miller n a few others, and that a rcduc-
ton in the interest would be t~aNOring
nO~n-reSidcutS. That is to say We must
cinch II W people to do it. This is
indeed a very narrow minded view tC
take of a business proposition, Those
nOm-reSi2cnts are a credit to the State
They have eNpen led thousands of dol
, lars to improve their holdings in thi>
State. They employ large crews Of citi.
Zcns to carry ON their business. These
non~-residents are showing to the world
= the poSsihil ties of stock raising in oul
State. They are carrying on a vast busi.
ness and require large loans from com
merrial banks. This is why they HAY,
not paid up on all of their lands. That
, they viii do SO soon is potent to every
thinking man unless we reduce GU rate
of interest,". But we are not here to cinci
nonresident taxpayers, but to lcg.siatt
for the best interests Of the State. and t,
do justice to the rich and poor alike. anC
above all TO project the future interests
Of our school children.