The weekly Thibodaux sentinel. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 1898-1905, 1902-08-23
Let the Decision be Rescinded

Leu Tile DECISION De heSClOO0O
Sometime ago the Lsfourche Basin
kevee Board decided by a vote OF
five to four to sell all the public
lands in its district to a syndicate,
said TO be composed principally of
Jefferson gentlemen, for the price OF
thirteen and one half cents per acre
Soon after this decision of the
board. the prospective purchasers
we're given an option on the lands at
the price fixed, and on putting up a
forfeit of $3.50.
We are glad to see that the action
of the board was not unanimous, and
that such strong and conservative
men as Messrs. Maurin, Mounot
Kent, and Tucker, voted against the
proposition to dispose of all of the
public lands under the control of the
rE0e1 xuAs spEeayy >1Qy TO bets
so rIdicnlodsly low prics~aa maf(
it virtually gift. We hope to see
these gentlemen at no distant day
take steps TO prevent or at least de
lay the cOnsummatiOn of this pro
posed sale, and TO bring about the
the reconsideration of what seems tC
be a most Ill advised decision on :ht
part of a bare majority of the board
II is not too late to do this, and thl
board should lose no time in doing
it, even if 1t should have 80 far bount
itself as to be obliged under the Law
to pay the penanty fixed by law. Il
would make money by
doing 1t. and thereby save the land,
to the people.
We have said that the price agreed
on is ridicu!ousIy low; 1t is vile, ant
that consi leratiou alone would b
sufficient to advocate a rescissiOn o
the action of the board. We believ,
the lands in the Lafourche Basin dis
trct 10 be worth more than thirteel
and half cents all acre. We be
lleve that there are some pieces o
swamp lands among them, and W
know that that kind of land is wortl
considerably more than that price
Does the board know whether it still
has some swamp lands, and wha
quantity? And if it does, did i
take the value Of that kind of lant
into consideration in the fixing th
price of sale?
But it would seem that there ar
other considerations why the boar
should rescind its action, which VI
briefly enumerate.
1t has been asserted that ther
were other applicants for entry o
some of there lands At higher pric
than. the one agreed on by tn
board, who were turned down by tn
board Withdrawing the lands from
the market for ninety days. and tha
at the expiration of the delay, tn
feclsion Of the board to sell no,
under criticism was reached, and n'
opportunity given to the other ap
plicants or the general public 10 ente
the field for public lands.
What good reason can be advances
for thus acting? View the question
as we will, it is impossible for us Il
conceive of any good reason to just
fy it, and we are warranted il tn
conclusion that neither could tn
dissident members of the board sc
any, since they have recorded thei
vote against the decision OF th
majority.
Many good reasons could be giver
on the other hand, for acting diffaren
Iy and more in accord, in our humbl
opinion, with the general welfare
All applicants should have been gi,
en- an equal opportunity to preser
their claims. aid justice and fair pla
accorded to sll. If this has not bee
done, the board should lose no tim
in resembling its action, and reopel
ing the whole matter. 1t has nOtl
Ing to lose by it, and perhaps muc
to gain.
1t cannot be pleaded in favor I
the lower price quoted to the synd
cate that the proposed sale Is for Il
purpose of land reclamation and in
prOvement, for We have not seen tn;
there is any obligation to that er
imposed upon the would be pu
chasers.
There Is another cOn.ideratlt
making for the rcscission of the a
ton of the toar,l:-it has been su
gested that some public lands a
actually inclose& within the limits
private holdings along the river al
the bayou Lafourche, and have bet
cleared and cultivated, in some ]
stances, through error or inadverten'
Al. n,w,,n.. 0f .U<.l,