The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-27
TO MEET FIFTH
DAY OF JANUARY
Executive Committee of Les
sees Association Acts.
BIENNIAL MEETING CALLED
Much Uneasiness Is Felt at
Raise in Rentals
BIENNIAL MEETING CALLED

Guthrie, o. T, Nov a6-Word was &c
ceived in this city today that the execu-
tive committee Of the Territorial School
Land Lessees' association had decided to
call the biennial meeting of the associa-
ton for the purpose Of electing officers
and the transaction of such other busi-
ness as may legally come before the meet
ing, in this city on January .. 1904. Terri
torial Secretary Bissell, Of Blackwell is
preparing the CALL and the date is fixed
at the same time the meeting OF the Terri
torial Bar association meets here.
There is much uneasiness among the
lessees of the territory at the present
time, occasioned by the raise of valua-
tions on these lands all over the terri
tory-in many instances being four or
more times the present rental--by. the
board of assessment that recently finish
ed its labors in this city. Next week has
been designated as "kicker's week." and
from, reports received, and the further
fact that county conventions of lessees
have been called in nearly every county
in Oklahoma, it is confidently expected
that a warm time is about due in the
school land office. Secretary Fred Wen
ner, of the board for leasing school lands,
has sent out the following notification 10
each of the 5000 Iessees, nearly every one
of whom has been hit with a very sub
stantial yearly raise in the rent he has to
pay the territory for the use of his lease
hold. 1t reads as follows:
The rental on your land has been fixed
by board of five disinterested citizens
Of Oklahoma, all of whom are practical
farmers and land owners. and one of
whom is a lessee of school land. This
board arrived at the rental fixed after
careful examination of the description and
plat of your land made by the viewer of
school land who visited the land the past
summer, and after fully considering all
the conditions relating TO the same.
This board will be in session. again
November 9th for a period of six days,
and lessees who have good reason to
show that their rental has been fixed too
high will be given chance to be heard
at that time. 1t should be understood,
however. that the board will not give any
who feel that their rent is higher than
they want to pay and have no food rea-
sons TO advance or evidence to introduce.
The rentals have been fixed in accord
ance with the conditions now prevailing
in the territory, in every case being much
lower than the rental asked for land
owned by private individuals. and the
board will not consider applications for
reduction of rent nor take action in any
case except where good reasons are adj
vanced and evidence introduced TO show
that an injustice has been done the par
ticular lessee.
After the adjournment of this second
session of the board, no further oppor-
tunity win be given lessees to appeal from
the appraised rental You vii therefore
govern yourself accordingly"
A prominent school land lessee, who is
now in this city for the purpose of rep
resenting a body of iessees who think
they have been wronged by the raise in
rentals, said:
1T has popularly been supposed that the
school land lessees of Oklahoma had one
of the strongest and most aggressive or
ganizations in the territory. First came
the territorial organization with a COM
plete set of officers; next came the county
organizations with their officers. and, In
many instances. township organization
had been perfected. The strongest of mo-
tives-that of protecting their homes-ac-
tuated these organizations, and it was
supposed that the officers would be watch
ful and vigilant in seeing that To wrong
This seems TO have been vain hope
The board for leasing school lands. bby
Secretary Wenner gave ample notice
through the territorial press of the meet
ing of the board OF appraisers, required
by the rules to sit and appraise these
lands; the personnel of the board was
well known, and one member is a lessee.
and the matter OF making the new ap-
praisements occupied nearly month, yet
so far as 1 can learn, not an officer of
the lessee's association. from the presi-
dent down, appeared before the board to
show why the raise should not have been
made. or to enter any sort of protest.
Now, nearly every county in Oklahoma
has called a meeting Of the lessees to
meet in Guthrie, week beginning Novem-
sentatives viii be on hand all the week
trying to make the board rescind its ac-
ton. Apathy has given way TO energy,
and effort that should have been expended
in preventing the present state OF affairs
will now be directed in asking for relief
Il IS simply a case Of 'hindsght being
substituted for foresight
The lessees should at once begin an
organisation that viii reach every town
ship in Oklahoma, and include every lease
holder within its membership Il is an
easy matter. through indifference, to have
the rents on these lands raised. but when
II comes to getting them reduced. then
viii come the tug or war. The s,oo0 lessees
of the territory have rights. and II they
do not protect them. they need not ex-
pect others To Go so for them