The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-07-09
Mr.. ROGAN'S SUGGESTIONS
As to Changes Which Should Be
Made in the Land Laws.
Discomfort AND MISUNDERSTANDING
Could Be Done Away With by Selling
Land % the Highest Bidder, Actual
Settlers Only to Bid.

Investigation committee with the following
recommendations concerning changes In the
school land laws:
Hon. Travis. Henderson. Chairman In
vestlgating Committee, Dear Sir; In com
pllance with the request of the committee
Of which you have the honor to be tho
chairman, | take pleasure In submitting
through you TO the committee such changes
in the school land law as, in my judy
ment are the most essential
The system Of making sales Of land by
nling applications direct With the com
missioner has been fully tried. II has
been source of constant and universal
discomfort and MISUNDERSTANDING, partly
because the people never became acquaint
ed with the law, but principally for the
reason the system is wrong IN principle.
1t is not only monument Of folly, but
IL Is a constant source OF intermnable
Irrigation. II * unfair TO the homcseeAer,
ana a standing fruua any permanent
sutrinCe TO the ScnuUl luhu.
me twenty seventh leeisatute changed
the law 81 as 10 require appicAu"hs 1"
be first hed vita the county G,Srh G,a ms
tom Of Ming with the commissioner but
whi4e 1t simplihed the WorA IN lAe ,anI
ONCE and gave better satisa|S ,l' ouv ny
are nevertheless, grave objections 70 US
continuance In the first pace. STRIFE -
so great In some instances wnerc and
comes on the market that b'ooushed mas
heretofore been narrowly aVelteu, ana 81
rious trouble Is likely To arlst ut ahI
time In the second place, tina school tuHu
is sacrificed az under ths system Oh ling
with the comWission. But hotn systems
are bad The strife ana scramDles Wnlrh
formerly took place AT tue lud ollce
under The old system, ana which now
prevails at the clerks office, are ankle
unsatisfactory pernicious and disgracetul.
They are UNFAIR both 10 the STATE ana
tu tho honcsceker In my Judgment there
is hut one right and just way to dispose
of the public lands tnal IS, 10 sen Lttih
at public auction to the highest bidder,
but to actual settlers Only Tue S1ie
after due notice, at the county site II
the county In which the land Is situated,
or 10 which such county Is attached for
judicial purposes In cases OF unorganlzeu
counties provided that no land shall be
sold for less than the minimum price iiNed
by law. Require three years actual resi-
dence and the erection OF permanent I'M
provements on the home section within
three years from date of purchase, OF the
value Of $500. Give the purchaser ample
time, say three months from date Of slle,
to make suitable arrangements to move
thereon with his family, and then require
him to remain there for three full con
secutlve years. If his occupancy is at
tackled. require II to be attacked before
the proof OF three years occupancy Is hled,
but II 1t Is not attacked WITHIN the three
years, or before proof of residence Is hled
the title of the purchaser should be made
absolute, dependent only upon payment
Of the annual interest principal ana patent
fee. Deny the purchaser the right TO sell
until he shall have filed his proof OF three
years occupancy, except In case Of death.
This will settle the country and make
collision more difficult.
Nearly all the land Is appraised at from
81, the minimum price fixed by law, to
81 per acre. The commlssioner has no
means Of knowing anything Of its true
value. My information is that school land
Is often sold at the above price when
hn al haln ugrtpn n nd IL
vidnals are sold at from 50 to SIS per acre,
one fifth cash, and on short time at per
&C, cent Interest If / should be sold at pub,
something like its true value. All cause
for ailSfactlon and complaint would
cease to exist and litigation would he re.
chasers would have an equal and fair
chance
Sales in all the counties should be made
as often as practicable after due notice
is given; at least once IN three months
TO make these sales the legislature should
provide for the appointment OF a bonded
agent with one or more assistants az shall
be necessary 10 perform the work. In III
connection, desire to say the services
Of the two land agents, appointed under
the law passed by the Twenty-slxth leg
islature, can he dispensed with. In fact.
have already dispensed with the serv-
Ices of one, and the services Of the other
will not he needed when his work on the
Rio Grande shall have been completed
The work for which they were appointed
hdH Uttn pIdfi'illA UtIibIuPN ana COM
pleted and they have been of great value
to the State.
The law has always provided that the
state treasurer shall keep sn account with
the purchaser Of every tract Of land In
1895 the legislature made II incumbent
on the commissioner to keep similar ac-
not known, but Cor three years ! have been
irving To ascertain why this was neces
sary, and am free to confess that have
not been able To discover any good reason
therefor. To keep these accounts Il re-
quires three bookkeeners. A like number
| Is required In the treAsurer's office TO keen
the same accounts. II Is true there is mn
occasional variance In the calculation OF
| interest by the bookkeepers between the
two departments hut 1t is so slight aud
/ insignificant that It amounts almost TO
nothing while II costs the State S36oO
per annum for extra bookkeepers, IN adj
con siderable during the wear
As TO the wisdom Of aholishing the an
solute lease line. J nm not prepared 70
Of reasons. can he made both for and
against the system. From y financial
standpoint II has been a great boon 70
the public schools, and II has 1used land
| developing water on thousands ~ acres,
which were regarded as worthless prior
the other hand, for the Dast eighteen
months or two years. II has been n barrier
10 settlement in many NJ the western
counties
Under the present system Of laws there
Is no nosslble way nv which work In the
land office can he sImpllfed, or better sys-
temlzed that Il IS at the present time,
Int I believe TINT n ran he very materl
alv simplIhed bv making sales and adopt
Ing the views above suggested
The number Of clerks needed In the ori~e
10 perform the work required nv the public
should he left 10 the discretion Of the
commissioner. who must stand the censure
when the force Is Insufficient 70 meet the
nuh'ic needs, Nearly all the clerks are
underpnid. Most ~ them I've from hand
70 mouth, and the result is the most enii-
ont resign when they o.itain better en-
nlovment elsewhere, leaving tho depart
ment to undertake IN carry nm the work
with raw material or with men ~ much
less ability and capacity for business
In addition 70 the above. there are other
recommendations concerning the land de-
nartmcnt. which expect 70 make IN my
biennial report. Resnectfullv.
Charles Rogan.
Commissioner