The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-06-26
SCHOOL LAND LESSEES
MEET In CONVENTION
All the Speakers Advocate
the Sale Of the School
Lands
Special to Daily Leader.

Chandler, Okla, June 26.-The
school land lessees of Lincoln county
held an important and profitable meet
ing at the court house Saturday af-
ternoon.
About $50 delegates were In attend
ance and many questions of deep IN
terest to the organization were dis
cusseu and permanent county or.
ganization was perfected
II. c. Notson, secretary OF the Union
League of Lessees of the Kickapoo
called the meeting to order aud nomin-
ations for temporary chairman and
secretary were asked for C. W. Inn
sted was elected temporary chairman
by acclamation and Perry Smith, aec-
retary.
The temporary organization was
made permanent and committees on
resolutions and rules appointed as fol-
lows;
Committee or rules and organiza-
ton: H. L. Blackburn, w. NJ. Young,
John Christy. j. c. McElyoy and E.
P. Conley.
Committee on resolutions: J. b.
Tynes, H. c. Notson, ]. r. Blevin, W.
J. Harding and L. Mills.
The meeting then adjourned until
the committees we're ready to report.
After an adjournment of forty-hve
minutes the meeting was agan called
to order ana the report OF the commit
tees heard
The chairman of the committee on
resolutions, J. b. Tynes, read the res
olutions prepared by the committee
which Sere adopted by the convention
without amendment.
C. w, olmsted thanked the conven-
ton for the honor conferred on him
by making him permanent chairman.
The members of the convention insist
ed that he explain MS views on the
school land situation and offer few
suggestions as TO the course to be
adopted by the convention. In re-
sponse he Gilated upon the power that
the fessees fave in the territory and
showed in a few ramarks the extent Of
that power and the manner in which
il might proftably be used to induce
the legislature to pass laws giving the
lessees a voice in the disposal of the
lands; to take control of the land
from the hands of the school Land
board and place it in the hands OF the
Iessees He advocated selling the
lands to the tenants Tor sum to be
determined by appraisement of the
land, the ownership of the land to re-
main in the hands of the school land
board until all payments be made.
The plan of payment outlined by him
is this: The purchase price of the
lands being agreed upon, the tenant
should pay 800 down and the re-
mainder in a certain number OF an
nual payments, time to be agreed up
on, the money bearing interest at an
agreed rate, probably six per cent; in
default of payment the land should re
vert to the territorial school fund.
This would be better for the school
children, giving the schools more mon
ey and would also protect the lessees
from loss. we don't want to rob the
school children" he said, but we do
want to protect their rights. and the
only way to accomplish this is TO give
the lessees the right to buy the land
II. c. Notson made an able talk on
the purposes and aims Of the organ
ization He said in part: There are
500 lessees in this county. The gov
ernment gave this land for an express
purpose. and when the territory be-
comes a state then Is the time TO Sc
cure the sale of these lands. Il would
be a calamity to the -lessees to come
as a state under the lease system
The republican form of government
must and win repudiate a lease sys-
TEN. AS the value of the lands in
creases the rent viii become higher,
and the value will increase only as the
lessees improve the land, and how
can the land be increased in value
by the lessee under the existing state
OF affairs" He cited the case Of a
lincoln county man who cut timber in
order 10 put in a larger crop and was
made to pay for the timber and his re-
ceipt for the money paid for cutting
this timber read "receipted for COM
hitting waste. The lessee is made 10
nav for the improvements as they are