The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-07-12
SCHOOL
LAND SALE


sale Of the school lands Of the state
The Information principally asked in
these inquiries is the time, manner and
place OF sale. In order that the public
may be advised as to what steps are
now being taken by the department
LOOKING toward the sale Of the land,
Secretary Cassidy of the school land
department has issued the following
statement
The action of the commissioners
of the land office on April 30 1909,
directing the department to take the
necessary steps looking forward to
la speedy adjustment Of the 1908 ap-
praisement, precludes at this time the
Initiating OF any of the work necessary
in the sale OF the public building and
Indemnity lands. Under amended
Senate Bill No. there are four classes
Of land to be sold.
First. The new college land grant
ed to the state under section IL of the
erabling act and containing $1,050000
acres.
Second. Public building land
Third. All indemnity lands.
Fourth. Townsite lands, being lands
which were at the time the sales bill
went into effect, held under leases for
townsite purposes.
Practically all of the public build
ing and indemnity lands are now held
by lessees. BY yirture of the terms
of the enabling act and the bill
authorizing the sale of these lands,
the lessees thereof have the preference
right to purchase the same at the sale
at the highest bid Before these lands
can be sold it is necessary for the
commissioners of the land office to Of
1, ficially approve the appraisement and
the board cannot approve the appraise-
ment until all complaints made against
the same by lessees have been inves-
ltigated and acted upon by the board
The department is now receiving
complaints and making departmental
Investigation of the same and in very
short time adjusters will be sent into
each county for the purpose of making
a personal investigation of the COM
plants which cannot be adjusted by
the department. 1t is evident that this
work will consume some little time. In
fact. IL is nearly impossible to deter
mine just when the work viii be COM
pleted. AS rapidly as the adjustments
have been made in county, the ap-
praisements of the school lands in
that county will be presented to the
board for it's action and If approved
by the board, steps will be taken at
once to begin the sale.
A sufficient force will be placed in
the field to perform the adjustment
work as rapidly as possible. The de-
partment is now taking the necessary
steps looking forward to an early sale
of the new college lands. These lands
are situated in the northwestern part
of the state, principally, and were
never leased under any laws or leases
which gave to the lessees any prefer
ence right. The old territorial board
lissned special leases to these lands
which expired between Jan. and
April 25, 1908, without any preference
, rights to either renewal or purchase in
the event of sale.
The First state legislature by an act
extended the time of expiration OF
these leases under the same terms and
conditions to Jan. !, 1909. On Jan. ],
, 1909. all leases held on new college
lands expired and the lessees had NO
preference right to either renew OF
purchase in case Of sale at the highest
bid: hence at this time there are
lessees upon this land and the sale OF
the same can be made with reference
! to any preference right as are con
nected with the public building and
/. indemnity lands.
!, The commissioners are required to
prepare in pamphlet form for free dis
!, tribution complete list of the lands
] to be sold by counties and townships
during brief description Of each
(. contract, showing the appraisement
} thereof
The sales department, 10 charge o.
! John w. Shepler, has been organized
and the lands titles Of the new col
lege lands are now being transferred
from the lease to the sales depart
ment. Just as soon as the transfer OF
title has been made the sales depart
ment Will take up the work Of adver'
tising in the newspapers and prepar-
ing the pamphlets. 1t is Impossible
at this time to state Just when the