The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-24
School Land Money Oklahoma
People Have Pride in,
DON'T WANT TO DIVIDE II
With The indian Territory or
With Anybody Else.

| ton. Almost every Oklahoman knows OF
the immense amount of money derived
every year from the school land for the
educational system of the territory. The
idea of dividing this fund with the Indian
territory with very little in the way Of
remuneration does not seem very sat
isfactory to the average resident Of Ok
lahoma who has put thought on the
statehood question. says Governor Jen-
! kins.
Unless congress, should it take up the
! single statehood question, devise some
means whereby the school lands can be
Of benefit to Oklahoma and not divided
with the Indian territory, there viii be
much strenuous objections from Oklaho-
mans. The opening of the new country
brought thousands of acres Of good land
into the school land department which
will bring a large amount of money as
revenue to the territory. This revenue
is just beginning TO come into the treas
ury from the leases and bonuses" and
no one yet has any idea of the immense
amount which the territory will derive
from this one source.
Governor Jenkins, in his report to the
secretary of tie interior has given an
entire history Of the school land fund
ard now the school land was acquired
oklahoma sprung from an Indian waste
into a. matured territory; its settlers
from the first day of its settlement being
alert business men, experienced citizens,
alive to the immediate and future needs
Of a progressive. educated people and
prosperous commonwealth. Thus one Of
the first propositions was the permanent
endowment of the public schools of the
territory and provisions for a fund which
would insure the erection of such public
buildings for state and school a would
inspire in its people a feeling of perma-
nancy and stability. and remains as
monument to intelligence and art
In original Oklahoma, Beaver county
and the Cheyenne and Arapahoe, Iowa,
Sac and Fox ard Pottawatonie reserva-
tons, there were reserved only th- reg
ular sections 16 and So in each township:
in the Cherokee outlet besides IS and So
sections 13 were reserved for higher insti-
tutions of learning and sections 80 Tor
public buildings. In the Kickapoo coun-
try sections Is and G6 were reserved and
also a large area of land in lieu f these
sections in the Usage and other reserva-
tions IN Greer county and the Eiowa
Comanche and Apache and Wichita res
crvations, four sections in each township
were reserved as they were in rhe CT ,ro- (
kce outlet.
Indemnity lands have at various times
been selected for lands lost by allotment, /
reservation and other causes. and at the I
present time there are about 2.050. O0C acres /
Of public land held by the territory in
trust for the future state Of Oklahoma. /
On application to congress by George +
W Steele, authority was given (act of .
March 8, 1901 to lease the lands under +
the supervision of the secretary OF the I
interior. Congress (by act approved 4
March 4, 1Se4) created the boar dof leas-
ing school lands, to be constituted of the /
governor, secretary and superintendent /
of public instruction of the territory,
authorizing the board to lease the school T
lands of the territory under the rules
prescribed ny the secretary Of the in
terror until such time as the legislature
of the territory should make other pro-
visions which mas not yet been made.
The large areas Of land selected in a
body in the Kickapoo reservation in 1895
in lieu Of school lands in the Usage and
isfactory and a source of much annoy
ance to the territory and OF hardship
to the people of that section. the entire
absence of taxable land in many school
districts and even whole townships prov
ing barrier to the proper conducting OF
schools and other important interests of
the community. The last legislative as
semhly extended some relief TO school
districts composed wholly or in part Of
indemnity school lands by providing that
Is per cent of all rentals from the school
lands in the district be paid by the ter
ritory TO such district This enables them
to carry on their schools, hut a general
unsatisfactory condition of untaxable
property stu prevails. and il by such
procedure the territory could relinquish
these lands back to the government and
secure again the lands in the Osaee and
otter reservations, which were given up
when these large tracts were selected.
Il would he a benefit 10 the whole terri
tory and an act of justice TO the commu-
mites in which these indemnity lands are
ocated.
a very material addition 10 The school
and and the school land fund ia the ter
-itorv has been made during the last few
months Of the acquisition of the Kiowa.
,omauche, Apache and Wichita and
-addo reservations. and the reservation
Ter common schools Of sections Il md So
schools and public building purposes Of
sections Is ana g. IN each township un-
css reserved or allotted and the Selection
# lands IN lieu of those sections lost :
rom various causes.
In the two reservations lands reserved
md allotted belonging 10 these funds ,
amounted 70 some I25 ese acres IN lieu :
Z these lands Il was necessary under
he act Or congress for the governor 20 :
select from the public lands Before the
anne are throRn open 10 settlement The /,
lamher 81 acres that We're lost Z found
he time during which these selections =
.ould be made. very limited owing 10
he fact thar congress hsd fixed the time :
C which This land was O. ~ tarenu
'pen. and bad prescribed that The pres 4
3ent shovld bv proclamation. give notice
ud that before prec nation caui8 D. Isl
ead SIZE lards sheuld 81 surveyed and
D. Irdisns allotted s
il Has therefore Necessary o. 81 E- re-
eaTiaitE selections hetNesa the iinl z
Pc allotment sid reservations were sp- 6
.reFee tfe seer tar of gh- interior g
ilt oief- fae i't a-atian u tle gres- 5
1ent 4he tlmr bE Ihs trE-s
fulrd i Necessary l.at lhasa 8
aas shsia - laIe tl fs 81
Washington after e r-w e hs
aentTs aua niihetlt aaSre 5 8
I'D crsT5eai examination Il esch a5ere - p
ard Sc selected i the lands had not Z