The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1919-04-10
ALIEN LAND BILL
VETOED BY HOBBY

Austin. Texas, April 5.-Governor
Hobby late today vetoed House bill
20, known as the alien land bill, and
will have his veto proclamation pre-
pared before leaving tomorrow for
Laredo.
The bill was most stringent meas
ure. requiring resident and nonresi-
dent aliens owning land in Texas 20
either dispose Of same or become cit
liens within specified time; also for
bidding aliens from acquiring land in
the State Violation Of the law pro-
vided for confscation Of land involv-
ed and its escheatment TO the State
Accompanying the Governors veto
proclamation is letter written by
Assistant Attorney General Maxwell,
who expresses no opinion as to the
validity Of law He merely calls at
tention TO past history on legislation
Of this character and the probable
effect Of the bill The letter tends to
sustain the Governors veto The
proclamation rejecting the bill fol-
lows:
House bill No. 10 is disapproved
because of its confusing terms. II is
calculated to make Texas a less invit-
ing market for longtime loans on real
estate and because il is possible that
undesirable complications may arise
with respect to the privileges Of for
eign citizens in one OF the United
States at time when such complica-
tons would tend to hamper negotia-
tons which will bring about amicable
relations throughout the world Sec
ton 3 Of the act declares that II shall
not apply to lands now owned in this
State by aliens so long as the present
owners hold them, and another sec
ton Of the act declares that the rea-
son for its passage is because there
are thousands Of acres of valuable
and fertile lands owned by aliens who
refuse TO assume the responsibilities
Of citizenship and there is no law ade-
quate governing such ownership. In
other words. one section Of the law
provides that present alien owners
shall not be disturbed. while another
section indicates that il is the inten-
ton 70 bring about forfeiture Of own
ership by present owners causing
them to register
Would React On Loans.
The act allows aliens to acquire
lands in the collection Of debts on
lands. but gives only five years to
dispose Of il. instead Of ten years, as
the present law provides. There is a
very large loan business done in the
State by aliens who loan money on
reasonable terms The time mention
ed for disposal is too short and will
mean forced sale at loss in many
cases, which will probably react on
loans on lands in Texas ms similar
act did in 1891. This act contains
several features similar to the act
passed in 1891. found to be unreason-
able and impracticable in their APP
plication, which caused the withdraw
al Of money and investments from
Texas, serious injury to credits and
business TO such an extent that Gov
ernor Hogg found il necessary to call
a special session Of the Legislature in
1892 for the purpose Of repeating
these features Of the act In my
judgment. the consequences that
might arise from permitting this act
to become law are fraught with dan
gers too grave and serious to justify
its approval by me. A copy Of the
opinion Of the Attorney General with
respect to the operation of this act
should ii become law is filed here
with and made a psso'of this procla-
nation"