Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-11-07
texas REAPINC|
FLOW OF GOLD.
State Once Land Poor Now
Finds Golden Harvest
From Holdings

now IS beginning to reap a golden
harvest from its broad acres. ac-
cording to the biennial report SUBJ
mitted to Governor Dan Moody by
j. II. Walker, commissioner OF the
general land office.
So rich was the state in land,
that when decision was made TO
erect a new capitol back in the
the 1905, II snapped 100000 acres
of land for the price OF the build
ing. This was in the days, however,
when IL was actually rather hard
for the state to get nd OF It's land.
Now. no such condition exists, as
the report Of the commissioner
shows. numerous tempting bids be-
ing received whenever the state
announces it will take tenders on
land.
The answer is: oil. Where for
merry sheep and cattle had a diff
ficult time getting enough forage
off the land to sustain life, there
now are countless oil wells doJting
the horizon. flowing millions of
dollars yearly into the Golfers Of
the state in the form of royalties
and other millions in gross re-
ceipt and production taxes of oil.
gas and gasoline.
Jumps S1i,600 coo
Commissioner Walker 5 report
shows that during the 1868 ben
MUM, the state received only S4.-
754,722.70 from its lands. OF TINS
amount only $i59,041 was in royal
ties and fees, the remainder beng
rentals and payment On land.
The report covering the period
between Oct. /, 1928 and Sept. 80,
1890, shows the total receipts into
the land office were Sl3. 799, 240.98
OF this amount S568 ,48424 was re-
turned TO the customers Of the state
due to overpayments. During the
first year OF the biennium. a to-
tai of S6.S25, 1851 was collected,
while during the second year the
collections scared TO S8,308, 1861.
The oil royalties for the two years
totaled S6,264,O AZ. OF this amount,
So, 876, 1914 was deposited to the
credit of the University Of Texas
from leases on lands set aside by
the constitution. Psi. 288.7l from
leases on free public school land,
and s236. 552.63 from leases on river
beds and submerged coastal areas.
The remainder Of the SIS, 799,-
240.98 was received in the form Of
bonuses for the lease OF land. some
of 10 the most valuaDis oil areas in
the country. and in payments on
land that has been under lease for
many years.
Since 1916. a total Of $50. 1856. $40 40
has been collected in payments on
principal. interest anI lease rentals
on acreage owned by the land en-
dowed: institutions Of the state. The
report shows a gradual rise in the
receipts Of the land office. from
the time when the major portion OF
the land was used strictly for
farming and stock raising purpos,y,
to the present era of Unprecedented
oil development
Figure Facts
Collections in l916-l9I8 totaled
S~4.754.722 20; in 191e-1920. sT.577.-
5000: in I920-1o22. s5.036I9145;
in l922-1924. s6 SAL .558.22: in 1924
1926. $40 0o2. 794f2: in 1926-192s.
sl2,484358.G3; in 1e2S-1o3O. sl3.-
79e24o98 {.
During the two years Just passed.
l~2o62352i acres. %aggregating ST.
i39.477.82 in notes. have been paid
in full for natenting. The number
or acres sold. but which has not
been paid. totals 20.2TS 45i23 with
OBLIGATIONS thereon amounting to
$50 078.176.so.
Detailed denosits 10 the credit of
the various funds from Sept. /,
1923 TO Sept. I, 1929 were:
Permanent school fund. SfO70.-
92845: available school fund. ST.
176,269.04! first pay permanent
school fund: Sl.0i6, 126 40; perman-
ent university fund. S324.56! avail
able university fund. s3.448.78: first
pay permanent university, SI.78l.-
69069: first pay available univers-
ity fund. S24.3S460; permanent deaf
and dumb asylum. S2.47I.l2: avail
able deaf and dumb asylum. S630.67:
permanent lunatic asylum. $500:
available lunatic asylum. S335.76:
permanent blind asylum, s79l %:
available blind asylum. S49630:
permanent orphan asylum, 81. 39o;
available orphan asylum. S526I So:
general revenue. Sf77,l62.95.
Sept. !. 1929 70 Aug. 81. 1880.
Permanent school fund. 1922
707.lS: available school fund. ST.
061 .463.98 first paw permanent
school. Sl,6S2 326 IS: first paw avail
able school. s7C6.6l: pern-aren. uni
versity. S635.77: available univers-
ity. 1927 .05S.6l; first pay perman-
ent university, S~3.9126936I; first
pay available university. s7.740:
permanent deaf and dumb asylum.
s1,608.63: available deaf and dumb
asylum. .52se5: permanent Iunat.c
asylum, s1.32052; available lunatic
asylum. S2l994: permanent blind
asylum 1851 80: available blind asy-
lum, Ss229T: permanent orphan
asylum. $3.50: available orphan asv-
hum s455.32: general revenue, $780,
64S-e2-
University Wealthy
Records in the office OF W. Cree
DRY Hatcher. state treasurer. show
that bonds totaling s38.573O3 have
been deposited to the credit or the
permanent free public school fund
The fund also showed a cash bal
amer of s145 0T3 as OF Aug. 81.
The University a. Texas per-
manent fund had S~16.6S925O IN
bonds to its credit with the state
treasurer on Aug. 81 and a cash BAL
ance Of SCI 1887.
The university and the board Of
education are permitted TO use only
the interest on their permanen.
funds for Improvement purposes r