The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-09
COMMIT TEE
WILL GO TO
WASHINGTON
To Improve the Status of
LaWtonS Finances.
MASS MEETING is HELD
County Clerk GOrman Sums
Up the Case.

Guthrie, 0. T, Dec. 8.-Lawton has dis
covered that after January the money
received from the sale Of town lots at
! tie opening win not be- available Tor the
/ countys use. A mass meeting was held
/ the last OF the past week and il was
/ decided TO send a committee of one 10
/ Washington to confer with the secretary
/ Of the interior on the matter lie viii
! advise that the disbursement Of this lot
money be made in q better. more speedy
manner one of the methods proposed
is = commission OF Lawton people TO dis
( burse H. This is one of the most i'm
portant questions raised since the open
ing of the new country. Congress may
have TO act after January ].
W. 9. Gorman, the county clerk, was
interviewed by the News man on this
subject and he explains it very explicitly
He believes that the money belongs 70
the county, but cannot be used after
January I. 1893. because the secretary Of
the interior has no authority TO use it
after that time.
II is understood that the officers here
at Guthrie are of the same opinion as
Mr.. German. The Iatters says.
THAT part OF the act opening up the
lands Of the Kiowa. ComaRche and az
hliated lands Of Indians to settlement,
relating to the expenditure of the re
ceipts derived from the SIZE of town
lots in the new counties. provides that
aILer deducting the expenses incident to
the surveying. sub-dividing. plating and
selling the town lots, the residue shall
be disposed of under the directions of
& ,1 - int in, fol
lowing manner:
\ co1rt house shall be erected there
with at such county seat at a cost not
exceeding s1e000.o0o, and the residue shall
be applied TO the construction of roads,
bridges, and such other public improve
ments as the secretary of the interior
shall deem appropriate, includin sthe pay
ment of all expenses actually necessary
TO the maintenance of the county gov
ernment until the time for collecting
county taxes in the calendar year next
succeeding the opening
The receipts derived from the sale of
town lots were much larger than antici-
pated, and it appears there is no direct
statutary provision for the expenditure
Of these funds at a later date than the
time for collecting taxes in the next cal
endar year following the opening
The date at which the secretary of the
interior would cease to pay the expenses
necessary in carrying on the county
government was fixed. upon advice Of
the assistant attorney general of the
United States, at January l. 1868
while a liberal construction of the
act relating to the disbursement Of the
town lot fund might be construed to
authorize the secretary of the interior
TO appropriate said funds for the con-
struction of bridges, rcads and such other
public improvements as he might deem
appropriate. after this date the law is
not so extensive as to provide for the
payment of the expenses necessary in
maintaining the county government out
of the town lot fund from and after De-
cember 81. 1892.
The present method of disbursing the
town lot fund is impracticable. causing
much delay and unnecessary clerical
work, and in my judgment steps ought
to be taken by which the town lot fund
could be turned over 10 the regularly
constituted authorities Of the county for
disbursement, under the statutes of Ok
Iahoma, after January 1, 1909.
1T is evident that these funds belong
to the people of this county and ought
to be expended by it's regularly author
lied representatives.
II am not opposed to the appointment
Of a commission. but would prefer see
ing the funds turned over at the close
OF the year and spent by our people at
home, leaving off the unnecessary ap-
proval OF persons who know little or
nothing about the necessity of the ex-
renditflres