The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1900-01-04
Oklahoma Schoo, Lands.

|
Guthric-.Advancc sheets Of the an.
nual report OF Charles Filson. com.
missioner OF the territorial school H. nd
department, were given out thi. after.
noon. In this report MIR. FilsDn makes
some recommendations regarding the
leasing system, and IL Is evident
that he expects trouble when the
Sixth legislative assembly talscs up the
school land legislation. The most i'm.
portant points covered in the report
arc:
TOO much cannot be snid about the
value OF the school lands and the i'm.
portance OF the adoption Of a wise poll
cy In regard TO their care and dspo.
sition. IL Is by far the most important
question the people will have 70 deal
with after Oklahoma becomes q state.
a well digested system or method for
caring for the school lands ami The
proceeds arising ,hercfrom frora their
rental or sale is OF the greatest import.
ance TO the people. There ars four
classes OF public lands. Section 20 and
80 in every township in the territory
are reserved for the support ~ the
common schools; section 10 Ia the
Cherokee strip for the support Of col
lcges and section 80 for the erection Of
public buildings. In Greer county Sec
tion 10 and 81 are reserved for such
purposes as the Legislature of the ktatc
Of Oklahoma may determine.
The school land lessccs number
1000 persons, and $4,000 people bake
their homes upon these lands aud they
have in the Kickapoo country and the
strip strong local organizations dc.
signed to advance their inte -csts
among candidates for the lcgislstu ture
and thereby secure favorable lcgisla.
tion.
They claim that they took possess-
ion Of these lands rs raw prairie and
that their increased value In the result
Of the lcssecs toll and privation end
that any effort TO keep them from ulti-
maiely securing possession of ucse
lands, at the price fixed by the govern
ment upon the raw lands Of Oklahoma,
is unfair and unjust.
while the other people equnlly
interested regret that there has yet
been, except from certain party lead
ers, no direct policy adopted by either
party as to future legislation on this
Important question, its solution will
affect the generations through all tf
Oklahoma's future history and IN
ausp icious political future is predicted
for the political party that can SO far
discern the ultimate judgement of the
people Of Oklahoma as to come ont
squarcly on platform and say without
cquivocation:
First we shall Oppose The sale q
the public lands Of Oklahoma; second
we shall oppose speculation in thess
lands; third, weshall oppose the grant
ing Of any perpetual leases; fourth va
shall oppose track renting of thcsa
lands; fifth, we bclicvc the interest,i
o! the state and of the lessces will bt
best conserved by the granting OF long
leases, not TO exceed 81 years (?l to the
present occupants ot these lands and
pledge ourselves TO secure the same;
six h. we believe an equivalent, just
and fair to the les CO and TO the state,
should be rendered to the state for the
use OF these lands; seventh, we stand
for reapprni,al Of these lands, free
from from political control, and based
ON the valuation OF the land re .ardless
Of improvements thereon, at intervals
not To- exceed zen 90 years apa,t; eighth
we stand for an administration of these
lands aud their funds that shalt be frcc
from all partisan control; ninth, wc
pledge our party's aid In securing tlic
bet possible constitutional safeguards
for the preservation OF this tras..'
"The cash receipts OF the Office dur
ing the past two years Of Sil2,hOI.s
show n large increase ia the office bust,
ness and represent about ~ per cent oI
the cash receipts since the comm,ncc
incnt. The prcSeni administration ha'
collected sGYT, T,ijs,I., ~ nearly 20 pei
cent Of the total cash receipts From
the beginning to the present. si,OOa,
G63 Gl has been turned over 10 the ter
ritOrial treasurer.
The cash receipts for lie present
year ending November 20, are sa2o %.
"a, an increase of s.;,9is over the pic
vious year, and u conservative estiinat,
OF the future annual receipts Of til,
scnopl lands now leased IL uhc.mill liUi
dollars per year; when the Is .uwa an,
Comunche countries aic opened Ior set
,lcmeut the annual receipts of the Of
lice will be at least s3aj,nO
The total net rcccip!s for suppor
Of the cOmmoI schools are SI52, ll5u
and 81 ,3i2 80 for colleges; si:O, $40 o
has been iurncd over to the treaSur"
orpubl 4 building purposes aud IS, ,c.9.
II Ut the Greer county sections, - an
50 fund Is held ia trust by the treas
urer for such purposes "a the trs
} state leg gislaturc may direct
The following table shows the mum
! Der OF quarter SECTIONS of school land
= iE the several counties aud their est
: mated value ut the present time:
Quarter
County Section Nalu
= Beaver .,.......... i,352 s3ai,4s