The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-07-12
Governor Haskell's Letter
on Public Institutions
TO The PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA.

| ~ t7E fEOPLe Or OkLAHoMA
Part Of the process of building oul
new state is the necessary creation Of
public institutions.
When the state government first be
gan we had no state insane asyiums
and our insane patients were being
kept at private institution in Okla
homa Territory and another private
institution in St. Louis. Mo-, at con
tract rates which afford large profit
to the private institutions and con
lsequently an unnecessary expense to
our taxpayers. To provide state care
at economic rates 1t was necessary
to build insane asylums. Oklahoma
Territory had already located one
asylum at TT. Supply in the extreme
west end of the stete, and the legis-
|lsture continued the enlargement OF
THAT institution and also located an
additional insane asylum at Vinita in
the east end of the state.
The prisoners of Oklahoma Terri
TORY were being kept under contract
lat the Kansas state penitentiary and
of Indian Territory at various federal
prisons in other states. Kansas was
keeping our prisoners because there
was a profit in the price they charg-
led Oklahoma for doing SO. In order
Ito reduce the expense of government
and provide necessary means for de-
tanning and caring for prisoners it was
necessary to build state penitentiary
at home and this penitentiary is now
nearly completed, and both the asy-
lum and the penitentiary being CON-
pleted will largely reduce the cost of
maintaing these two features of state
government as no private institution
or institutions of other states would
care for our patients or prisoners ex-
cept at good profit Likewise the
east half Of the state was wholly with
out state educational institutions, and
the agricultural and mechanical edu-
cation of the state, representing the
chief source of wealth and industry
of Oklahoma. was entitled to larger
and better facilities and we believe
that the legislature Of Oklahoma act
edly wisely In meeting these economic
and educational necessities.
Examining the journals Of the house
and senate it will be found that the
creation of these institutions were not
partisan measures but that practical
ly every one of them was approved by
the members of both political parties,
so that they are distinctively non
partisan in their creation and man
agement.
In providing funds for the creation
of these buildings the state herewith
shows the source from which the cost
of public buildings is provided, and
having first applied the accumulated
cash the remainder of the cost of
buildings, which will come from
future rentals and sales of lands, is to
be made Immediately available by the
issue and sale of public building war
rants, the tenor of which is set forth
in the attached statement.
These public building warrants bear
five per cent interest per annum, pay
able semi-annually. and being free
from taxation are equivalent to about
seven and one-half or eight per cent
income to the owner thereof. These
warrants could readily be sold to the
eastern insurance and other invest
ment companies except for the pro-
vision that 'the state is not liable for
the payment thereof" which, to a
stranger, calls for an explanation, and
the explanation is this: All neces-
sary public buildings are provided for
from the rentals and sale of public
building lands, and, that being the
case, the general credit of the state
could not be given by the act of the
legislature authorizing these war
rants and, as the stranger does not
know the value of these public build
ing lands, he naturally is uncertain
as to the intrinsic value Of the war
rants, but from the statement below,
as to the funds to be received from
the land already sold and appraise-
ment Of the remainder Of the land, it
will be readily seen that there is an
abundance of security and annual in
come to make an absolutely certain
investment and prompt payment of
both principal and interest of these
public building warrants.
There is no uncertainty based on
speculative estimate. The experience
for years has shown the certain in
come from land rentals and the sales
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