The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-21
NEW BILL
BE OFFERED
TO COUNCIL
Matter of School Lands Has
Not Been Deserted.
HOUSE BILL SUBSTITUTE
Reported to Cover Objection
able Features of House Bill.

of the public land committee of the upper
house have been wrestling with the school
land question and have had before them
the bill passed by the lover house,
which seems to be Objectionable to all
members of the committee. TO such an
extent that some members are contemp-
iating an entirely new bill, which it is
said, has been drawn.
The proposed bill will be in substance
Section 1-Creates the board. provides
for its organization and subjects il to
present territorial statutes.
''Sec. 2Provides clerical help for the
department.
Sec. 4.-Prescribes qualifications of
lesees and provides that lesees of agri-
cultural lands shall be residents of the
territory.
Sec. 5-Reenacts the present law, max
ing it a misdemeanor for anyone not a
lessee to occupy any of the lands or to
remove timber etc.
Sec. 6-Provides> that lessees' pref
erence rights cannot be sold under exc
cution, but provides that the improve
ments shall be held for rentals due the
board.
'Sec. 7-Provides the form of lease for
| agricultural lands and the condition
| thereof
Sec S-Provides for leasing for town.
site purposes.
Sec 9-Provides that the board may
prescribe rules for carrying out the in
tent of the act
Sec 10-ProVides for turning over the
present school land department to this
board.
Sec 11-Provides that the act shall
take effect upon its approval.
The provisions prescribed in the lease
under section cover the following points
Three years rental annual payment rem
tai to be fixed by the board; without per-
mission of the board timber cannot be
| cut. stone quarried or lands sublet; that
lessees in good standing may remove i'm
! provements; that improvements may be
sold for rental only after appraisement,
and provides for such appraisal by arbi-
tration; that the board may not declare
the lease forfeited without giving lessee
notice. and a hearing, and provides that
lessees shall have preference right of re-
newal at appraised rental.
The principal points of difference be-
tween this bill and the bill passed by the
house is that the latter provides for APP
praisement by the county appraiser
while the proposed bill leaves this matter
in the hands of the board.
Both bills give the lessee the preference
! right to renew at the appraised value
without competition. both create a board
and provide clerical help. both prescribe
! ha+ Of aoricllIt1lral lands shall
be residents of the territory, both prohibit
timber cutting or subletting without per-
mission, both prescribe forfeiture of lease
and sale of improvements for default Of
rent of breach of contract.
The advocates fthis proposed measure
claim that if the lessee is to get these
lands at appraisement without competi-
ton he should not choose the appraiser;
they allow the board discretionary power
in issuing grazing leases; one great feat
ire is that Is prevents the courts from
selling mans lease hold or lease rights.
| comonly called preference rights; they
! provide for townsites, which Is not in
theo ther BILL provide for fixing value OF
! improvements by arbitration and further
! provide that no lease shall be declared
forfeited for breach of contract without
full hearing after due notice; they claim
that this bin does not compel the lessee
4 either TO pay an unjust tax or list his
improvements at anyway below their
value as the other bill does; the claim is
also made htat the brevity of the measure
/ is much in favor.
Several members of the house have
bee:. receiving letters from constituents
| in rural districts Isl ing for garden seeds.
/ Wllia,ns. or PaTHee, Yesterday received
letter asking him to please send the
writer some garden seeds. The house
has not as yet appropriated money for
such purposes.
Tuttle. Of Comanche. in speaking OF
the statehood memorial said that Provi
dence intended fer Oklahoma and Indian
| territory TO be made on state. Decker Of
Grant. wanted to know how the Com
anche county man received his revela-
ttion. The laugh was on Tuttle and thte
chair had to rap for order
Senator Foster in opposing the univer
sity appropriation bill stated that he did
not favor appropriating for dried snakes
that were burned up. Senator Gore
| wanted 10 know II the senator didn't pre-
, ferd ried snakes to live snakes and Sen
| ator Foster replied that he didn't like
! snakes ''nohow.''
The Enid platform Of the Democratic
| platform will have TO be revised. &C
| cording TO the provisions Of MaXwells
| memorial. The platform calls for single
statehood only and the memorial asks
! congress TO make the boundaries of the
state as it may see ct. Possibly some
| OF the members Of the Democratic side
/ Of the house did not see the provision