The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-08-18

State and School Land
and School Funds.
We believe that MS soon as nossi-
and practicable the lands held BY the
state for educational purposes should
be sold upon terms that snail be 40
solutely fair to the people Of this state
preserving the preference right to the
essees, guaranteed by the enabling
act, to the end that such lands should
becomr taxable and be made more
'alnable and productive By the actual
lwnef thereof
That anything that adds to the
value OF said land and costs time. Ia.
bor or money. shall be classed as an
improvement
improvements on said land shall
he appraised at such sum as they
add 10 the value OF Had for the pnr
pose OF sale
In drafting the constitution of the
state of Oklahoma. the Democratic
aftg forever guaranteed protection
"a the school lands snd school funds
4 the stale, and unlike a multitude
u 1llei atate4. lhe principal Of this
fund VIII forever remain sacred and
secure from any loss or depletion
ft provides that the principal OF the
fund shall never be diminished aud
IN the Investment OF the permanent
school fund, We point with pride 10
the fact that the agricultural inter
este Of the state the principal indus
| try upon when the prosperity and
comfort OF Oklahoma depends, should
lave the first right to the use ol these
public moneys upon good farm Sc.
| curly, and al a far rate of interest,
The result Of this policy has been
to reduce the rate Of interest on farm
mortgage loans throughout the state
/ by reason OF the state competition
with farm mortgage companies.
The management OF the school land
leasing department assumed By the
Democratic administration from the
territorial condition OF negligence
fayoriiIsm and mlsmanagement. has
In the brief period oi state govern
ment, grown In efficiency 10 where
4 complete records Of the location, char
acter, description aud values of these
lands are matter Of record, ant
where all i ssees are upon the same
basis witllea regard 10 political fay
critics. and where today the schoo
children Of Oklahoma are receiving
from these lInds rents more than 81
per cent net money annually in ex
cess OF the best year OF territorial
government.
Public Institutions.
i Oklahoma territory had followed
the policy of falling to provide an
Institution for the insane, deaf dumb
blind orphans or the state convlcts
except by contract with other states
or private institutions within the stat
conducted BY political fayorites o
members of the dominating offcia
family at an extortionate rate.
A notable instance Is to the keep
ing OF the insane at private instltu
tnon at Norman. at such extragagan
rates that the stock ownership 0
] that institution was considered spe
j cal privilege to the favored few 0
the dominating clique.
The prisoners Of the territory wer
} farmed out to a neighborlng state a
an eYtravagant rate producing enoru
/ GUS profits to that state, end core.
ponding loss to the paxuayers Of Oi
iahoma These methods and unval
aated conditions IN the fare Of ID
fact that the public building land h .
alleady accumulated appfoSimatel
aix hundred thousand dollars Of fund
from which these siisEifntions aIiunI
have long prior thereto been constfue