The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-11-19
TERRITORIAL. fNDrn1rDNFss

TERRITORIAL INDEBTEDNESS
The total territorial indebtedness or ok
luhoma on June 30. 1901. wns Sl.66.12o i3.
or about 50 per capita or this indebted
ness SiS.0n IS IN bonds issued for educa-
tiOnol purposes n the first year OF the
reritorys history The balance is in war
rant indebtedness saccumulatng hy
casual deficit each year, and mostly
cansed by the failure to realize sunicient
from the general fund levy OF three mills
to meet The warrants authorized 10 be
drawn on The fund. This does not I'M
Cludc the Indebtedness incurred in the
erection OF the Northwestern Normal
school amounting with interest to little
o.cr 100000. and provision for the pay-
meut of which was made at the last scs-
sion of the legislature hy the leyNing OF
"a special tax. Al this Indebtedness bears
per cent inte-cst but Il could be funded
into long time bonds at a muchr lower
rate This procedure. would, I believe he
advisable and o.. great benefit Ga the Ter
ritory in that the annual interest charge
would be reduced and an of the Terri
torial business Ice put on cash basis
The present Territorial revenues are
adequate TO meet an expenditures and
the rnpid growth Of taxable wealth would
make it easy 90 accumulate a sinking
fund To- take up the nouda when due
SCHOOL LANDS.
oklahoma sprung from an Indian waste
into "a matured territory; It's settlers from
the first day OF Its settlement being alert
busincs mcu. experienced citizens. alive
TO the immediate and future needs of
progressive. educated people and a pros
perous commonwealth Thus one OF the
first propositions was thc permanent en-
dowment Of the public school of the Ter
rltorv. and provision for "a fund which
would insure the erection for such public
buildings for state and school as would
inspire within its people a feeling OF per-
NANCY and stability and remain as monu-
ments to intelligence and art
In original OlSlahoma-Beaver county
and the Cheyenne and Arapahoe. Iowa
sac and Fox and Pottawatom'e reserva-
tions-there were reserved only the regu-
lar schol sections rs and 30 In each town
shin: in the Cherokee outlet besides 10
and 36 sections 10 we're reserved tor the
higher institutions of learning and sec
tions 30 for public buildings In the Kick
apoo county section lG and SO we-e reserv-
ed and also a large area OF land IN ueu
of these sections I'm the Usage and other
reservations In Greer county and the
Kfwa. Comanche and Apache and Wich-
tia reservations, four sections IN each
township were reserved as they were IN
the Cherokee outlet
Indemnity lands have at various times
been selected for lanos lost by allotment,
reservation. aud other causes and 20 the
present time there are about -'WDNvv acres
of public lands held by the Territory IN
trust for the future state of oklahoma.
on applicatiun to congress by Governor
George w Steele authority was given
(act March 3, ls9), To lease the lands un-
der the supervision of the secretary on
! fnn Interior. ANUENtcn Wy aAA nlNANfNN
March 1S9D created the board Tor leas-
ing school lands. TO be constituted Of
the governor, secretary ana supeHtenu-
ent of public instruction OF the Ieffitpiy
under the rules prescribed by The secre-
farv of the interior. until such time as the
legislature cf the Territory should make
other provision. which has not yet been
done.
the Kickapoo -est rvation in 1880 in lieu
of school lands in the Osage and other
rcservatins has been very unsausiactptS
and "A source Of much annoyance TO tne
Territory and Of hardship to IN PEOPLE
of that section, the entire absence OF tax
able land in many school districts com
posed wholly or In part hN indemnity
lands i'm many school districts ana even
whole townships proving q barrier TO
the p-oper conducting OF schools ana
other important interests of the communl-
tv. The last legislative assembly extend
"a some relief to school districts composed
wholly or in part of Indemnity school
lands by providing that 10 per cent Of all
rentals from the school lands IN the dls-
trict be paid by the Territory TO such DIS
trlct. This enables them to carry ON thel,
schools. but a general unsatisfactory con-
dition OF untaxahle property stll pre-
walls and II by some procedure the Ter
ritory could relinquish these iahus paSh
to the government ana secure aEaln @ .lle
lands i'm the Usage and other rese-Natlons'
which were given up when these large
tracts were selected II would be pene-
nt TO the whole Territory. ana an aet OF
Justice 70 the communities IN Whlch 'nese
Indemnity lands are located,
A very material addition 70 the scnool
lands and the schoi land fund in the Ter
ritory has been made during the i5st few
months by the acquisition Of the kloW9'
Comanche, Apache and Wichita ana Cau-
do reservations and the reservation Tor
common schools OF sections l6 ana 80, ana
FOR universities, colleges normal schools, |
and public building purposes sections % |
and Be- in each township. unless reserved
or allotted and the selection OF lan1s
in lieu OF these sections lost from Varl-
INDEMNITY LANDS.
In the two reservations lands reserved |
and allotted belonging 20 some luo'uvo |
acres In lieu Of these lands Il was nee
essary under the act OF congress Tor the |
governor to select from the public lands |
before the same are thrown open TO set
Element the nmber of acrs which ewre
lost / found the time during which |
these selections could be made very Inns
tied. owing TO the fact that congress had |
fixed the time which this land was TO be !
thrown open. and had prescribed that me
president should " proclamation give
(NOntinuad on mage 6)