The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-01-29
TIMBER CUTTERS

contract, Immediately took steps to
enter into a further contract upon
agreement with its lassees to relieve
them of bfeech ot contract when
upon examination h sh)uld be found
that the clearing of the land was
necessary and would be of advantage
to the territory and to the lessee,
but the board still reserves the privi
lege, as it rightly should, of saying
what land should be cleared, and in
case privilege was granted of clear
ing up certain lands to insist that
this land should be broken out and
put under cultivation before any fur
ther permit should be given and of
requiring payment for valuable tim
Der taken in The clearing and putting
under cultivation of these certain
lands. This precautiun was takep
almost entirely for the benefit of the
1essees in Lincoln county; md in or
der that they should be disMroed as
little as possible. the board mas sent
its special agents into Lincoln county
to investigate and report upon re
quests at as early a date as possible
three agents being now at work Wis
itine farm after farm and reporting
thereon and in most instances an
agreement is reached with the lessee.
OF course, there are some instances
in which an agreemen; can not be
reached between these special agents
and the 1essees, but am pleased to
say that disagreements are few.
l am satisfied that as soon as the
lessees in Lincoln county become ac-
customed 10 this method of procedure,
and acquainted with the intention OF
the board, that it will be more salts
factory to them than that they should
proceed in utter and positive disre-
gard to the contract under which they
hold, and that they will understaau
that this special agreement and per
mission viii relieve them from the
breach Of a contract which it is posi-
lively necessary for the board to en-
body in the lease The board is es-
pecialiy anxious 90 settle up all mat
ters in Lincoln county at as early a
date as possible so that its agents
can Immediately visit other parts of
the territory where the timber is be
ing stolen and removed entirely from
the land, sometimes with the consent
of the lessee and sometimes wholly
without such consent.
I regret that your club regards the
action of the board as arbitrary
and "harsha and beg to call your IT
tention to the fact that if the board
desired to be harsh in this matter it
could cancel almos+ every lease in
Lincoln county under a breach of the
contract above recited; but | am well
satisfied that upon a propec under
standing of the matter, taking into
consideration the necessary contract,
the desire of the board to give the
lessee proper relief (as evidenced by
it's attempt to reach an amicable
AGREEMENT through special agents.
taking into consideration the respon-
sibllity of the board to the future
state of Oklahoma and to the interior
department under The rules of which
department it is restricted simply to
the power of leasing these reserved
government lands, and taking IMP
consideration the willful and malici-
Gus theft and destruction of valuable
timber in some parts of the territory
and takiRg into consideration the
necessity for direct supervision, that
your club and the people of the ter
ritory will uphold the board both in
the proper enforcement of the exist
ing contract within these leases as
well as in the plans of relief there
from upon request, examination, and
direct agreement whereby the lessee
agrees TO pay for valuable timtdd
used on and sold from said land and
positively requiring that tract clear
ed must be put under cultivation be
fore further permission is granted to
clear.
It is further not out of place for
me to draw your attention to the fact
that when fmbeh taken from The
place is used in Improvements that
the lessee is awarded by appraise-
ment the full value of such improve
ments; and that in case any timbe,
ed land is broken out he is allowed a
valuation for such breaking al the
rate Of SO per acre and while this
,,,o,- MT fully aop,r,ars,.,. hin, for