The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-06-15
rre COAL SITUATION.


ship of the seq4esterei cosi and a..
ptsit lands of t1e Chiskssav and
/ |Ctoctau nations should adm01ish
/ President Roosevelt that hrs scheme
Iof e0ve-ument ouaership % aIl The
. .1napgr0pra'ed coal fields I1 tbe cOun.
|t-y .s visionary and Improbable.
The adrl1istrati0n a. these Indian
/ Territory lands by officials in Wash.
'lrzt11 has made a wilderness 0f CO.,
90 acfes ~ the most fertile land in
[ the so4'hEest Cliy a small pf0p0r
't.ol n the coalpro8le.1s area is la.
Der lease -1 miners Who are said t0
/ conduct their 0ye-a'lorE i- reckless
/ fashion. uhlI- fhe agricultural r8ssl
5I.ues rf tte Land are rEIdIy slth.
|haI from development
Senators ard executive 0Gc.a.s l1
iTasl.lgoa la..l-elr deliberate 4.la
the value ~ tte coal deposits a1d l5
91 plans flr converting them 20 public
l-as vtIs so4tl McAles,er and The
other a-t.s-..IrE towns fla-.aI1ls
big r.alo-8l.g 1lt la vain that ffs
.4-'ara rights .l tsa land De- 1ra-al
o. farmers l1 order that ths 'osrs
lay have the support 1f aa se-lclI
tlral population
70 industry must valt upon tle con
yellence 9r TIE utim % the senate .1
this reservation. atat utulc become
.of fhe c3ln'rJ's coal supply u al our
5000 0eS acres u unapyr0prlates
coal lands were sublec, 20 the same
controi7 Would not lobbsry. Ofhcial
psculation. campaign contributions
and considerations Of partisan sdvsu
taze dominate the coal mining Indus
try. bringing even manufacture. ey.
cry railroad. every municipality and
ever Householder under The thumb
of the administration controlling the
Goa. mInes7
Monopoly of the coal by an means
should not be- permitted bat slreiy
there are better ways ~ preventing f
than ne crude scheme ~ paferualIsu
which Mr Roosevelt propose. The
biz stealings Incident 90 the govern
ucnts connection with the building
o. the Pacific railroads. and the money
scandals already beginning % boz heard
DO connection With tho government
work 90 Panama. are sufficient proof
that the government a. Washington
is not capable % executing such o
rust az ownership 81 the coal fields
would impose.
Mr Roosevelt doubtless means
well. but be seems lacking 90 practical
knOWledgc u is hardly The time for
us 10 take up paternalism jnst when
the primitive system of government
Is demonstrating Itself failure ln
Pugsia"
Roosevelt Is not so much 20 blame
as is Secretary Hitchcock. who has
done more than any one mau or set
ol men 10 reiard. by his regulations
which he constantly changes. 10 re
tard the growth and development Of
the land of the yards Of tho govern
m"nt The secretary claims that he
i8 opposed 10 the Standard on com
pany obtaining a foothold' in the Ter
ritory and that he o. using all bic
Official influence 10 prevent that com
pany from controlling the Oh lands
OF the northern part of the Territory |
Many doubt the socrotary's sincerity |
as the best oil lands are now in the |
hands oi such corporations as the
Prairie OH and Gas company which |
ls said 10 be controlled by the Stand |
ard people The Cudahy on company
with itB leases have already transfer |
rcd a number Of them to the Standard
Now let us pause 90 consider tho rich
coal fields and sec who owns the best
coal leases Tho Choctaw railroad
nOs "a part Of the Rock Island system.
had al one time thirty approved leases
The Southwestern Development com
pany whose officers are officials Of
'ho " X. q T., railroad have SIX val
liable leases The Usage aud Atoka
Coal and Mining companies have
twelve leases. These companies be-
long to The Goulds who control the
majority OF tho stock oi me Missouri
Pacific railroad. Wherever you look
You find that the railroad companies
aud the rich corporations have their
grasp on The best things OF the Ter.
ritory
There T. no more striking illustra
ION ot Federal misma ulgement 90 the
history OF the Indians than the Indian
Territory Under the sscrotarys di-
rection there has been paid 20 the
'hoctaw aud Chickasaw Indians nearly
wo millions OF dollars arising on ac
count Of the sale Of town lots The
Der Caplta umOrnt paid each Indian is