The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-01-20

r 1u .U. ,relIulng up 10 the aist day
o. Nn,.uI,r. this fund has earned total
90 y.u.t .1 interest already collected
h' tNt .I1ta We also give you the
au.Hr. pf money distributed BY tho
s N... Land department To- the common
-eu'o.. of oklahoma Territory FOR the
ye.r 1907 and tho amount distributed
tp the common schools Of the state iOl
tuc year 1909
1901 January distribution ... 5000. 900. Oh
Total for the last year " Ter
rIIr1l government ........ s3i3.93l.f "a
Distribution for the year 1903 under
Statehood.
January distribution ..........s $500. .2si 90
July distribution ............. 250,2i6O 90
Total fpr the year 1909 ....... $3.50. SGT. 90
II Is proper however. to call your at
tentlon to the fact that approximately
twp hundr u thousand dollars OF the
FUNDS distrlbutcl for the year 1903 was
interest money on the permanent school
iund OF which there was none the last
year Of territorial government, but still
the Increase from land rentals is GER
talnly complimentary to the present ad
mlnistratlon pt this department. | woul
also add that the January distribution foi
the year 1910. about to bee made. Will
eNceed onc-hau million dollars, the exact
hgures not Vet being In my hands
oulntenniaI Appraissment Department.
Iiy act OF the first legislature. this
department was directed - carefully re-
appraisr all the puolic land of the state
and have prepared ns "A part ~ the land
office records. not only u careful geo
graphical but typographical description
OF all public lands with a careful upprnlse-
mcnt II tho valuo Of tile Lands and ~ ths
Improvements, ana record tpu would
thoroughly advise the department and
all those who might call FOR information
a. tu the character OF each tract OF land.
its condition and value rhis work has
been carefully conducted aud is now near
completion Tho total cost has been sub
stantitlly an average Of three cents per
acre, or a total ot about ON. hundred
Thousand dollars. / viii not burden you
with further details at this timo The
within a few DAYS. | recommend that
you give consideration - the prupusi ton
as a. whether or not the legislature may,
under the provisions OF thv constitution,
c1anEn thu method by which this dcpart-
ment has been operated. both under ter
ritoNlul ana state government and Ii 50.
~ 10 whether the appropriation th1t YOU
may make Tor tho conducting of this
department IN the future shall De drawn
from th" tax funds of the state of from
the earnings OF tire department.
Also there are perhaps 70 dozen ~ the
growing cities and towns I'm the western
part of the state. which embrace within
Their limits, or Immediately adjoining the
same, certain public lands of the state.
Tor which there Is no present law auth
orlZing sdlt. The value OF these tracts
or land ior additions TO these cities Is
so much greater than their value for
arilcultuul purposes that recommend
that you give consideration and take such
atiiuu as you deem proper, looking to
either the sale Of said lands now or the
amendment of the leasing law so that
thcy 'an De leased at ,hsir farm rental
value instead Of at four percent Of their
actual appraised value.
As one Illustration. ono tract Of land
Is appraised AT siNty.nvo thou.nnd l,l-
lars, but II cannot possibly be leased for
iarm purposes at over two hundred dol
lars. There are several other tracts OF
land In substantially the same coalition.
l recommend that YOU look into these
matters.
Fees and Salaries.
with but one or two slight exceptions,
the present fees and salaries of county
Officers ARE still regulated bv tho laws
which the state Inherited from Oklahoma
Territory and are in such choatlc and
uncertain condition that find from care
ful inquiry throughout the state, there
are perhaps not over "A half n dozen
counties that pursue the same policy of
constituting tho fee and salary law alike,
ana J fnd that there IL substantial rea-
son Tor county attorneys differing as TO
what this territorial legislation really
means, but in nearly every instance Il
= construed literally in favor of the Of
lcer. For the purpose Of establishing GER
lalntY as TO the meaning OF the law and
Ior me purpose or economy OF govern
nent ] recommend that you adopt
new code Of law. covering the subject
y fees ana salaries. I wish to he ais
.inctly understood ~ favorng fun com.
)ensnt!on 10 every public officer, accord
ng 10 the service he performs The
'uhllc must expect - pay their officers
ust coinpen' 'ation and / therefore do not
lsk that yCu make the salaries of puh
10 officers lower than justice and fair
lehinE demands, but on the other hand.
he public IS entitled To have "A dcfinitp.
AIR salary law and I believe that II the
COS required to be paid to such officers
~ receive fees from the public are in
Iusulouslv collected ana turned into the
nunty TREASURES, that IT win not bc
nr'nsono'l' tC expect these fees to FUR
iish fund sufficient 70 pay the salary
cenunts TO All the county officers and
u THIS regard. | ID not ask that mus I
ic" DE dpn' the uUicers. hut | do ask
h2t Justice he done the tax payers a.
Usury Law
lhe constitution NJ Oklahoma under /
'ok to provide an Interest aud usury F.
w.. A. compared with the Oklahoma .
''uliurS law II reduced the legal rate
interest iron eight per cent down t.
N percent AMI the contract rate from
we've percent down IL ten pelccnt and .
rovd'd a penalty for uspry There f. 4
ouht IN tn" minds of many peOplc ns .
, whether this provision of tho Consti- /
ltion is self operating and | ind that .
ouht 50 general that I have had care /
u Investigation made ana am satisfied /
at the constitution II sell operating and
: said interest ana usury provisions are
fill legal force and therefore need no
,r'her vltaIlzing legislation.
Game Law
IL" game law has demonstrated A rev-
lu" producing capacity mach greater
van originally contemplated by most OF
). ! understand tina there is now a
al ms of about iifty thousand dollars
the license fund
] recommend ihat ,he law be- so amend
! tllnt this fund accumulated ana fu-
are collections, be turned into the gen.
al revenue fund OF the state. and that
preparations for the salaries and .x-
enses OF this department be made out
the receipts, and that the general
.NenEe FUND ~ the state have the ben
II OF all surplus,
also ask you TO lnvestigats as TO the
abstraction with which this game law
ay he working particularly in the hill
Id mountain counties OF the eastern
at or the state. At one time IL was
fought this law would be unjust TO the
'ople residing in those mountain coun-
90. little inquiry will show YOU
hethtt or not Injustice results from