Raked By Altgeld

SPRINGFIELD. Mrch 7 - Governor Pf-Ul hus called the attcniion of the 1 iture to what he thlnks tíi abuse in the matter of school land lenses, ;nid at tlie , same time tarkJed the Chicago pewspuper pres8inoneof its'strongest pubHcatlons. He takes for his text the p'oposltion to rev.ilue school larr.l loases, and x(!ts in a number of di ís at 'theenemy" whileshowlng that iho. o is something wrong wiih the way tho leasos are lat. He says that "waving the flag with une hand and plundering the public with rhc othor is a form uf patrlotism that is Rotting to bo entlrely tuo oommon," and closos with an appeal to the legislatura to abolish the law undet which the proposi'il reappraisement must be made. Tlie document excited much amazement and more hilarity. Tho legislHtur, liko the rest of the world, lovosaflght, aud The Tribune is agood flghter, Ij yely times are ezpeoted when the matter comea up for debate. Sume LraSHg Are oU Snap. The governor says: "In some portions of the state, particularly in Chicago, there are very valuable lands which belong 10 the school fund and the rent of which was intended to maintain the public schools. Soine of the most valuable land In the heart of that city is of this charftcter. Besides numerous other pieces, there is th entir block bounded by Doarborn, MadLson, State and Monroe streets. Years ago all school lands wero leased by the board of education to various parties for a long term, but with the provisión that there should be a revaluation every flve yoars and that the rent should be ö per cent. per annum on this valuation. Bavaluatlons have been had from time to tim -, eaoh much higher than the former, bur the lessees, many of whom are promlnant oltizensj have been able to exert such an inüufiice that the rent produced Uy this gruund has always been far below that pald for ground belonging to privato individuals in the gaine locality, and nu more desirable." An lnstmice iu loint. The governor gives this as au mstance where i lesaee pot a very soft thing indeed: "For ixamplc, the southwest cornerof mul Madison streets is the most valuable corner in the city. The lot is 48x80 and leaaed by Mr. Otis? who pays 15, 1Ü0 ayear rental on the ground and uu taxes. The building is old and of little value, yot hu sublets it at a rental which. after pnying the ground rent and all expenses, nets hun ovor $40,000 per year. As this is due to the value 'of the ground most of this sum should go to the school fund. The southeast corner of Dearborn and Madison streets is leased to the Chicago Tribune compnny. The ground is 72xl-'O feet, and at present pays a rental of, only 818,000 ayear, whilo on ihe oppositi' corner, diagonally across Dearborn street, a piece of ground 20x40 feet, having only 00 equare feet, is rented at an annual sum ot $10,000. in addition to the taxes, which ai present amount to $2,240, bringing the annual cost of the ground to over li,ftJ0." Giveg the Newspapers a Wliaeb. Afier showing that the block just across the street from this very vuluable one owned by the school fund pays doublé the rental - in addition to taxes - that the school block does the governor proeeeds: "It is Tound thattheownersof fourgreat duily newspapera hokt leases of school lands. Three of theso papers are actually published on school land, and it has happened that in the past when certain men made a strong effort to compol the payment of a fair rent on this land they weie made targets of abase by at least one of these newspapers." He' then notes the tact that the board of education used to name all three appraisers, but now names only one, the other two being selected by two judges of court, who, while they "will always be henest and able, yet experience has show n that, as a rule, judges are as sensitive to newspaper influence as other men."