The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1906-08-23
OUR WASHINGTON
NEWS AND NOTES
ITEMS OF INTEREST BRIEFLY
CHRoNICLED.
SANTA DOMINGO FERMENT
Secretary Hitchcock Credited With
Saving Oklahoma Holdings OF a
Value Between $1,Oo0,OoO and ST.
100000.

Credit is given to Secretary Hitch
cock in the Interior Department for
saving to Oklahoma thousands OF acres
Of land rich in minerals, oil and other
wealth. possession of which, accord
ING to statement issued, was sought
bv band of land spectators. 1t Is
estimated there has been saved to Ok
lahoma holdings of value OF between
81 100000 and $2,O0O,OO0.
early in March, says the state
ment, Secretary Hitchcock learned
that an amendment had been slipped
into the Statehood bill in the Senate
known as the Warren amendment, by
which alleged mineral locations u-1-
der the Federal mining laws on OK
lahoma schol lands would be valldat-
ed and the new state would have to
pick out other lands in the place OF
those thus lost. The Secretary reach
ed the conclusion that the claims OF
the parties who would benefit by the
I amendment were entirely without
merit, and that the whole scheme bore
some resemblance to raid upon the
Treasury
When the bill, with the Warren
amendment was in conference com
mittee, according to the statement,
Secretary Hitchcock sent to the COM
mittee a brief declaring the alleged
mineral claims of the parties were
void; that the parties knew they were
void: that their invalidity was not
due to any mere technical defect, but
to the fact that the claims were set
up in violation of the express enact
ment of Congress, and the only rea-
son for making the claims was that
the parties had laid plans for slipping
into the Statehod bill measure like
the Warren amendment.
Representative of the government
told the committee the beneticiarles
of the measure were an organized
band, who had been trying for several
wears. ever since the first discovery
of oil in the Cleveland region, to put
the mineral lands without making
adequate payment. They had filed
alleged claims all over the Territory,
so that if the measure passed all the
mineral wealth of the Territory would
be acquired by them without compen-
sation. After detailing the success
full substitution Of a leasing clause
drawn by Secretary Hitchcock for
the Warren amendment the statement
concludes:
"When the people of Oklahoma
were celebrating the passage of the
Statehood bill it is probable they did
not know the new commonwealth came
near losing some of its most valuable
possessions, besides having a blot
on its escutcheon from having been
made the victim of unscrupulous spec
ulators on its first entrance into the
United States.
"The most valuable mineral lands
UGlUISlllS " tut oIC piObo
bly, those near the town of Cleveland,
in Pawuee county. One school section
alone containing oil and gas is estl-
mated to be worth 100000, and there
are others in the immediate vicinity.
It is also reported that an oil and gas
field is being developed in Kiowa
conuty, near school lands, and there
are rumors also Of discoveries in
Green and Commanche counties.
"There are also deposits Of cement,
gypsum and salt in various parts of
the Territory, and it has been claimed
by prospectors that Beaver contains
considerable deposits of lead, copper
and silver. tAll lands known to con-
tain oil or other minerals will prob
ably be leased soon after the creation
of the new State.'