The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-09-26

the growth OF the territory twenty
years. Most farmers will be compelled
to borrow the money from outside the
territory aud pay interest for some
years To come and viii no doubt uiti
mately result ia the pay ment OF as
much interest as principtl, or iu other
words, the actual loss viii al proba
bility be thirty millions OF dollars.
No one acquainted with conditions
here can contemplate these vast sums
without alarm.
Free homes for Oklahoma would
mean prosperity and Development
/ This must Inevitably be followed 10y
| increased internal revenue receipts for
the United States, and as the people Of
| Oklahoma become consumers, it means
| increase in custom duties in years 10
c1ne IL means also increased exports
| This is the true solution OF the
problem considered merely fro 4 an
investment standpoiat By the Uuit, d
/ States The same policy that would
enforce payment OF this vast sum by
the farmers of Oklahoma would have
caused England to sell Egypt under
the hammer TO pay it's bonded indebt-
cdncss instead OF taking couttul of it
and developing its natural resources
and no doubt ia future adding rich
province to thl empire
AS the laws stand ut present, the
United States will actually eNtort
from the homesteaders of Oklahoma
over S.. 600 600 more than the total
cost OF these lands This needs no
comment from me.
II is to be hoped that the govern
ment. in dealing with these settlers
will do 50 on the broad basis and with
far seeing wisdom.
school Lands
! The sixteenth and thirty-sixth sec
tions OF school lands in Oklahoma are
reserved for the use and benefit OF
common sch )ols
In March, 1891, congress authoriz, I'd
the governor TO lease the school lands
for term not TO exceed three yearA
Under this act very nearly all the
school lands in eastern Oklahoma were
leased at good prices. la May, 1894,
the leasing OF thee lands was trans
ferred from the control Of the gov
ernOr to board composed Of tue gov
ernor, secretary and superintendent
of public instruction
Duri.g the past year the principal
work Of the Office has been renewing
leases OF the expiration of their sew
eral terms and looking after collec.
;ions, transfers and cancellations
This has made the volume Of work
= large and has kept force OF three 10
e five clerks busily engaged, ana even
2 then il was found very diff cult TO be
] prompt with the work. Nearly all thC
- work Of the office has been done by
S correspondence, which often amounts
4 10 several hundred letters n day. jus
t before the beginning OF the fiscal year
2 the postoflice department ruled tha
T. the board was not entitled TO use III,
D penalty envelopes that had been used
q up to that date This has added
o largely to the expense OF the Office.
Y The most difficult problem will
c which the board has had TO contenI
& has been the question of preference,
= rights OF lessees upon renewal Of thei
leases These lessees have during tn
term OF their leases made valuable i'm
provements necessary TO put the lan'
4 ia cultivation and nearly all hay
built houses, dug wells, fenced, plautel
fruit trees, plUwed the land and im
;, proved the tracts generally, with
! view TO making Il home on the land
By the terms Of the original leases
e, the lessees were given the privilege
= on renewal, Of taking the land At tn
highest rental offered by any respOn
sible bidder, in case he so elects Other
!. wise to remove his improdements d
q once and give possession. Bat tn
!, difficulty Is that most improvement
- on farm are either imnovable u
- very nearly vaiueless when removed
4 This caused the board To cast abOu
. for some plan of leasing by which tot
>, the interest Of the lessee and OF tn
:, school fund could be protected an
>. justice done To both. Clearly th
/, school fund is entitled TO the CONNER
> cial rental value Of the land and
seems equally just that the tenau
, should have the benefit of his Ia
% provements. Any system which PEI
', mits the tenant TO lease the land fC
= less than il is worth robs the schOC
fund and any system that compels
tenant 10 pay an enhanced value o
the land on account of his imprcv,
D. ments seems equally unjust 10 tn
y tenant. Bearing in mina thes
e general principles the boar
D has had both the improve
Il ments aud the rental value OF the Ian
IS appraised The land was theu oifere
e for lease. Any person desiring
n lease any tract at a price in excess {
g the appraised rental value and VIII
l. would pay the lessee the appraise
v value of his improvements, would I
d permitted TO file bid. II the lessc
r desired TO take the land at the pric
offered by this applicant, he could d
d so; otherwise he could simply cisit
d the appraised value of the improvI
n ments or remove them,
II II no such bid was received, I'll
d