Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-12-10
Initiative keeps
OKLAHOMA BUSY
SUPPORTERS or AGRICULTURAL
WOULD CHANGE ELECTION
METHOD.
Desire new FARM BOARD
School Dill Affected; Fight on Plan 90
Abolish Institutions Expected
Liquor Il an Issue.

Phlhibllh wy l'fis I'LL ptllllOIS
now being circulated among the voters
of oklahoma receive the required
number Of signatures. the people viii
have an opportunity, probably at the
next statewide primary election next
August, to vote upon three proposed
laws and constitutional amendments.
Campbell Russell of Warner Is cir
culating petitions for a constitutional
amendment which, II adopted will
have the effect Of recalling the pres
ent state board of agriculture and
changing the method by which mem
bers Of the board are elected.
The high license and local option
advocates are circulating petitions for
an amendment abolshing statewide
prohibition and substituting a system
of local option and high license in its
stead.
The latest measure is offered by
Representative Aiken of Norman. 1t
proposes TO abolish a large number of
the state educational institutions
Russell Bill Assured.
The Russell amendment probably
will get the support necessary for its
submission, as its author, Russell, al
ready has obtained almost enough
signatures to put It before the people.
The circulation Of petitions for the
local option and school bills has begun
only recently and 1t Is impossible to
predict the result. However those
promoting the initiative measures In
Oklahoma seldom fail to find plenty
of people ready to affiX ther sigma
lures.
The Aiken bill has created the great
est furry, as it strikes at a number
of state institutions that are the very
life blood Of the communities in
which they are located What Is
alarming these communities most is
that the bill has the support of the
present administration, and it appeals
specially to the tax ridden farmers.
few OF whom ever have an opportunity
of sending their children to a state
educational institution.
Too Many Institutions.
The sentiment is general over the
state that the legislature created too
many educational institutions Okla
homa territory had three state normal
schools located at Edmond, Alva and
Weaherford. a state university at
Norman, Agricultural and Mechanical
college at saltwater and university
preparatory school at Tonkawa. The
east side Of the state, formerly the In
dian territory, had no such instltu-
tions, as 1t was an unorganized terri
tory prior to statehood.
4. h -,
islature felt 1t incumbent upon itself
to give the east side some state edu
cational institutions and consequently
1t established an Eastern preparatory
university at Claremore, a state school
of mines at Wilburton, three state
normal schools at Tahlequah, Ada and
Durant, and gave the east side three
district agricultural schools, at War
ner, Tishomlngo and Broken Arrow.
Responded to Ciamor.
This action was due to insistent de-
mands of representatives from former
Indian Territory and to desire of the
west side members to appease the
"Eastslders.' These considerations
apparently had more weight than did
the actual educational needs of the
state in the minds of the legislators.
For good measure the legislature gave
the east side the state penitentiary,
state training school for boys, the
school for the blind. the Eastern hos
pital for the insane, the state orphans
home and a school for the blind, deaf
and orphan negro children. In order
that the distribution of institutions be
not over balanced former Oklahoma
Territory was then given the Fort Sup
ply insane asylum, state institutions
for the feeble minded, three district
agricultural schools, the state school
for the deaf and state reformatory.
When the second and third legisla
lures began to meet the demands for
appropriations it was discovered that
the institutions would become bur-
den to the tax payers that might
swamp the state financially If main
tained In the proper manner. SO many
many of the senator's and representa-
tives. however. represented districts
which possessed one of these institu
tions that 1t became evident than an
appropriation bill for any one of them
was sure to get enough votes to pass.
Economists Blocked.
Those who preached economy found
It impossible to break through this
public institution combination in the
legislature and Governor Cruce had
to come to the rescue of the state and
veto large number of the appropria-
tions. After he had used the veto
freely, however, the governor found
that the aggregate appropriations for
these institutions, including those for