The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-02-06
REPORT OF SCHOOL
LAND COMMITTEE.

The school land committee of the
constitutional convention has submit
ted it's report The ordinance pro-
posed by them is in the main an able
and far sighted document Its Ian
guage is accurate and its provisions
board and liberal les main features
will meet with public approval. It
may not satisfy everyone, but where
such large and to some extent adverse
interests are involved, such would be
impossible.
A large part of the proposed ordi-
nance is devoted to carrying out the
provisions of the enabling act, but Il
goes farther and includes many other
important provisions all of which bear
evidence Of careful consideration.
The ordinance, as proposed. accepts
the terms of the enabling act and
pledges the faith of the state to keep
the lands or the proceeds OF sale and
ell monies appropriated "as a sacred
trust and to foreNer keep the same
inviolate."
The permanent common school fund
Is to consist Sf all common school
lands or the proceeds Of sale. the FIVE
per cent of sale of upblic lands of the
United States, the S5.O0O.0O0 In lieu
cf Indian Territory sections. al
escheated lands and all gifts or dona-
ions. 1T may be increased bgt shall
never be diminished The state mast
make good all losses from any cause.
The income from the land or funds
ere 20 be distributed each year "be-
tween all the several common school
districts of the state in proportion to
Tie school population of the several
listrlets"
The report then deals with the cues
lion of the sale of the common school
lands. It. provides that they shall not
he sold for a period of ter years from
The date of the adoption of this con-
5tit9tion, and then only when author
zed by majority vote of the electors
Of the state voting upon such proposi-
tion, srbmitted at a general election.
Thus Il will be seen that the main
proposition relating TO the sale of Sec
tions l6 and 36 has been deferred ten
years or until 1917, after which the
people may order the sale of the
lands. In the meantime they are to be
leased for periods Of five years
The same provisions regarding sale
apply to sections Is. which are the
college sections.
Sections SO and lands in lieu thereof
known as the public building lands
shall be apportioned and disposed of
rs the Legislature OF said state may
prescribe" No provision is made for
leasing section 49,
All indemnity lands selected in lieu
Of sections l6 and SO and section IS,
shall be sold az the earliest date prac-
iicable under rules and regulations to
be prescribed by the legislature"
Common school or college lands ad-
jacent to townsites may be plated
and sold
The special land grants to the edu-
catlonal institutions made by the en-
abling act may be disposed OF at such
time and under such rides and regula-
tions as the legislature may pre-
scribe. In the meantime they may
be leased for a tenn OF fve years
The report deals with other i'm
pOrtant phases of the school land
question which will be discussed later
There is no do9bt bit the oonven.
iion as a whole desires 20 giye the
fullest protection, both to thGi school
and other funds and 10 the lessees. en-
deayoring al all times to be conser-
vative and fulfll their sacred ohliga-
tions TO the children, the whole peo-
pie and the lessees.