The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-09-03
SCHOOL LAND RENTALS.
How One Of the Great Fund
Safeguards is Passing
Away.

The passing of the competitive sys-
tenn of leasing schol lands is mat.
ter of solicitude to many who desire
to see a large and permanent income
derived from leasing school lands and
many doubt the wisdom of the policy.
So long as the Office Is In strictly
honest. capable hands the difference
viii not be appreciated, but it is vital
nevertheless. Competitive leasing
was one Of the guarantees the public
had that school lands should not be
leased for less than their real value,
and the only adequate weapon the
public could use to compel lessees to
pay the actual market value of the
land. After all is said the only true
test of what thing is worth is what
it will bring on the market.
The appraisement of school lands
is useful to the commissioner In the
discharge of his duties, but to make
the price fixed by the appraiser rbso-
lutte, puts the whole question of the
value Of school lands in the hands OF
the commissioner and his appraisers
and removes the general public from
any say in the matter whatever.
The absolute assessment system
places a tremendous power in the
hands of the school land office and
enables u TO say exactly what the in
come from leasing the lands shall be.
II some person other than a lessee
Is willing TO pay for the improve
ments of a lessee and pay a higher
price than the appraised value Of the
land, as is frequently the case and
always true if the appralsement is too
low, it is difficult to see how the best
interests of the school fund can de-
mand the rejection of that higher bid
as is the case under the absolute ap-
praisement system when all competi-
ton is excluded.
That some such cases are growing
up now is evidenced by the fact that
preference rights TO lease are bought
and sold, and in some cases one per
son has sold to another his prefer
slce right to lease for from 81 200 to
81 500 for one-quarter section OF land.
The school lands were reserved for
the school children, and whatever
they are worth on the market the
school children are entitled to have.
The right of a lessee may extend to
protection for valuable improvements
placed on the land but can not extend
to the land itself. The preference
right to lease whenever it becomes a
thing Of value belongs TO the school
children as part OF the benifcent
heritage bestowed upon them by con
gress.
The absolute appraisement system
is the one used by all the older states
under which much of their legitimate
incomes were lost both IN their
clumsy leasing and still more stupid
sacrifice OF their school lands when
they came TO sale Many states real
lied not over onefourth what their
school lands would actually have
brought on an open market. Oklaho
mas wonderful success in leasing her
school lands is very largely due 20 the
fact that rental rates we're dets'rmin
ed by competition IN the first in
stance and by receiving bids from per
sons Offering more than the appraised
value and agreeing 10 pay for i'm
proyements at renewal Of leases.
During former terms the competi
tive system prevailed. The first In
road was made four years ago when
lessees were given the absolute right
70 release at appraised prices, shut
ting out competition OF all others
Under this preference rights have
come to be considered very valuable
as stated.
Now, under the last regulation, ren
tai rates are fixed absolutely By ap
praisement. even in the first instance
and all that Is left OF the old compe
titiye system under which Oklahoma