The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-01-20

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ruled otherwise. the grounds have not
boen purchased, bat | have To hand
YOU herewith contract made by the
Secretary or the Prison Board. j. p.
Connors, showing the opportunity for
the state to acquire the surface right
TO about fourteen hundred acres, atl
substantially ten dollars per acre and
also to advise you that this Ia but n
small part OF what this property woHld
cost II purchased from individual own
ers, but the state has been favored
by low price fixed by the Govern.
ors Of the Choctaw and ChIckasaw ma
tions and approved by the Interior De-
partment az friendly concession to
the state.
also call your attention to tho
fact that This land Is known To be ill.,,
derlaid by a very valuable coal de-
poslt and that II the state deems the
ownership Of this coal deposit valua-
bic, that II would be we'll at this
time and Il Is recommended hy Mr..
connors that your Honorable Body
look carefully into this question and
0y your act direct tAe State Board Of
Prison Control both aa to the pur.
chase or The surface right Ut the price
Indicated above aud as TO the purchase
Of the coal deposit. and also that you
make such appropriation out of the
sale OF public building lands as may
be necessary 70 acquire the surface
Of said lands and # you deem wise,
The coal deposit thereon.
have TO advise that the erection OF
the State Reformatofy at Granite is
progressing satisfactorily and with
tho approval Of the State Board.
Public Building Warrants.
Anticipating the sale Of public build.
Ing lands and the use OF the proceeds
OF such sale to pay for the erection
or various public buildings authorized
at former sessions OF the Legislature,
you also authorized the issuance Of
public building warrants. indefinite a.
to date OF payment. | now call your
attention to the fact that the value OF
these warrants Is greatly deprecated
in the financial markets by the fact
that there is no definite time fixed
for their payment. | also remind YOU
that the state viii not get a dollars
worth Of property for warrant that
must be discounted by the contractor
and therefore 1t is advisable for the
state to have this wGTraht so amended
that It will bring par in the hands OF
the contractor who accepts II on a
building contract, and to do this, I
am advised by bankers that a definite
time should be fixed for the payment
OF any such warrant. therefore rec.
ommend that you amend this law so
that definite time for payment may
be fixed. not only for the warrants
4 heretofore authorized, but for such as
( You may authorize at this session for
additional buildings and grounds.
Taxation.
The constitution OF Oklahoma fixed
a maximum limit Of tax levy, for each
Of tho state. county. township, school
district and Incorporated towns While
/ this VAS unusual as a constitutional
4 provision, the experience of tue other
new states to the north and the north
west Of Oklahoma had shown us the
I necessity for restraining the tax levy
ing boards. particularly In the early
years Of statehood. II was well
known fact 'ilat local government OF
other new states had been controlled
In nearly every locality by the boomer
element anxious for sudden and abb
normal development aud far too sell
dom interested IN the permanent vel
fare of the community; In fact. dis
posed to acquire sudden riches out OF
boom conditions aud then remove to
other parts before the penalty of ex.
trnvagance in the form Of tax burdens
should overiake them and thus leave
20 The stable. permanent citizen, the
blight upOn bis community, the newt.
able result OF hasty development In
public improvements and the extra
iyagnncc of such methods and thus we
'ndaY can appreciate the great bsne-
~ That we have lad from this con.
siiiuiI0nal provision. When these
maximum levies were placed In our
constitution Il was not believed that
u would. except on rare occasions. be
found necessary TO make tax leviea
anywhere near as high as these max
imua limits, but Oklahoma. like 9TH
~ INV nAdttHf Ndb UttH cubJclttQ W
the Influences which would proceed at
reckless rate bent on extensive.
extrsYagant expenditures. sowing the
. wind today regardless of reaping the
whirlwind tomorrow The disposition
to glory IN TIE number of miles OF
paved streets and concrete sidewalks
'fpnd ether IafbNc bexpendituteslr rather
o'thamao bescontenr with pridein asjust
&c aim to thatAs oomfottabfe homes
and pockets containing surplus. In
stead OF suffering from deficiency. I
DO not believe shat the true greatness
of our state, or of it's cities or com
munities rests with public expenditure
at an extravagant rate half as much
ps Il does In the individual improves
monts about the home Of it's individual
families. therefore urge that your
Honorable Body fix maximum tar rata
limits. at not exceeding one half OF
the present authorized rates and that
such limits shall be a bar. above
which the local taxing boards csauot I
60. excepting only by vote Of ne