The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-04-04
roa leelAN rsRRIroay scAooLs
Secretary Hitchcock Has Plansfor
Raising Money for Taxation.

Washington, D. G.. April Az
The secretary Of the interior has sent
70 the senate the report Of Frank
Churchill. who was appointed under a
provision OF the last Indian appropria-
ton bin. to investigate and report as
70 whether il is practicable to provide
a system OF taxation of personal prop
erty occupation and franchises in the
Indian territory, sufficient to main
tnin a system OF free schools for all
the children OF the territory Mr..
Churchill's report is one of the most
complete that has been made on the
affairs OF the Indian territory. He
presents detailed facts concerning
each of the hve tribes and statistics
on area, population. iliiteracy and
other subjects Of that character. He
summarizes the conditions as follows:
Il find that upwards of a hundred
thousand persons Of school age reside
in the indian territory without free
schools. Nearly 100000 of Indian
funds is expended annually for the
maintanence OF tribal schools in which
only from 12,005 10 10000 pupils are
enrolled. Only thirty towns aut.ioriz-
ed to do so have raised a tax for
schools amounting to about $4,000.
There IS not less than so million dol
lars Of taxable property. to which ad-
ditions are being made almost hourly
upon which a tax OF one-third of l per
cent would amount to a million dol
lars. An occupation tax would yield
$3.50 and poll tax not less than
500 900, to which 100000 to 100000
should be added for the tax on rail
roads. telegraph, telephone and other
corporations and franchises to CORE
spend with the above amounts. A
small average income fr-,h land leases
would amount to 100000. The total
of these items is s675.OOO. and, in my
opinion, that amount can be raised
without proving a burden upon any
person.
'TO institute a system OF free
schools It will first be necessary to di-
vide the territory into districts. not TO
exceed thirty. and a tax provided, the
districts to be subdivided into muni-
cipal townships for school purposes,
each OF said townships being authoriz-
ed to levy special tax for school pur-
poses when regularly voted. not to ex-
ceed / per cent of the valuation of tax
able property The thirty districts
should be established at once undor
the direction OF the secretary OF the
interior and the subdivisions made in
order to place the interior section up
on the same footing as 70 authority to
tax themselves for schools as the in.
corporated towns now are, under the
Curtis act. Under such authority
these proposed districts may levy a
tax to supplement the pro-rata
amounts from the general tax. thus en-
abllng them provide better schools
and school honses than the general
or state tax wlll at first supply. Com
missicners Tor each district might be
provided by election or appointment.
who should constitute a district school
board and also he a board OF assessors
for return taxable property 20 a tax
commissioner for the territory to be
appointed by the secretary Of the in
terror a board Of equalization win
be necessary for assessing taxes on
railroads. telegraph, telephone insur-
aace and like companies and fran
chises It win also be necessary to ap-
point supervisors TO pass upon the
qualifications of teachers"