The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-12-22
SCHOOLS
PLEA OF SENATOR
Twenty-First District Senator Explains
Opposition to Aiken Measure
institutional Needed.

member of the state senate from the
tweney-first district since 1907, has an
nounced his opposition to the Akin
bill, particularly on account of the
school of mines at Wilburton, which
he says should remain in the mining
district. Senator Sorrels said:
"The thousands of miners in the
coal fields looked with longing eyes to
the time when the Indian territory
would be merged into statehood, when
they might have laws passed relative
to mining coal Having been a mem
Der of the constitutional convention
and each succeeding legislature, and
having lived, myself, in the coal fields
for quarter of century, | know
whereof / speak.
when matters were pending in the
constitutional convention and in the
Legislature affecting their interests,
the miners telephoned, wrote, resolved
and came in person to see me about
Legislation concerning their conditions.
above all was a plea for a law that
would produce the greatest safety to
| life and limbs in their avocation. They
pointed to the fact that nearly two
Thousand men have been killed in the
Hast fifteen years in mines of that
which is now the eastern part OF OK
llahoma, and at least twice that num-
Der have been crippled and manned
Il for life They pleaded for law that
demanded technical knowledge OF
mine managers, superintendents, pit
bosses, hosting engineers, fire BOSSES
land all others holding the safety Of life
land limb in their hands. Hence, hun
Idreds Of men in the great coal fields
Iof our state must pass technical ex
laminations in order to hold their posi-
ltions.
} Work of Examiners.
"a board of mine examiners was
created and they have turned dowr
hundreds of applicants for positions OF
i account of their failure to pass the re
. quired examinations; and yet, The
board freely admits that If they hat
, forced hard and rigid examinations
} livery few would have passed, for th'
} treason that the miners of Oklahomi
lhad not heretofore had the benefit 0
S school of mines, like the other grea
t mining states of the union.
"The miners used to have our stat
q Icreate a school of miners, and locate
: in the mining field, in order that the
t might equip themselves to intelligent
g follow their vocation, and to undei
S Istand the management of gases, fir
J. damp, ventilation and proper constru'
/ ton of mines, involving mine eng
). Ineering. Out OF their earnings the
I sent delegation after delegation, an
y finally induced the legislature to Great
h Isuch a school.
d "The school is located in the heal
5. of the mining district, and I have pc
e sonal knowledge that the miners, frol
k their humble earnings, donated tn
meager sum of ten cents and upward
It Ito maintain campaign to induce Il
g Legislature to pass the bill, and so d
T. lighted were they in having the scho'
=, established, that instead of giving Il
o. forty acres as they promised the
1t bought sixty acres which is well wort
e ten thousand dollars.
$ "The man who tries to strike dow
o this school, or injure it by moving
n out of the mining district. Is strikir
Ie at humanity The school is not cor
st plete; the equipment has not been 5
y up. 1t has neither water or light
From all over the coal district COM
the inquiry, When are you going
get ready?' Yet, with this conditio
the miners are crowding into Il
school.
IS Colorado, with a population of le
b. than a million has a school Of min
- with an attendance of several hundre
il Oklahoma, with nearly two million po
Is ulation, and just as great mineral
e. sources, will. in few years, have
attendance owing to its location amol
n. the mines, exceeding any school of
is kind in America.
s "The main cost of this school is nc
ST over. The equipment is bought al
nt ready to be set up. Just as soon
,g the announcement is made that ever
n. thing is ready, the school will be oy'
10 flowed. The buildings were paid t
out of the funds donated by the Unit
h. States government. To tear the
n. buildings down, or to abandon the
h. now, would be criminal. These bui
n Iings cannot be used for any other pl
.. lpose. Special architects were e
ip'oyed to design these buildings, su
lv able to the purposes of the school
,.inee only and they would be {