The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-05-14

lHe OplniOn udllueu uONH. ID! tHe
United States supreme court yester-
day affects that entire portion OF Ok
lahoma that is comprised of the old
Indian Territory. That it will, should
it prove that the opinion as sent
out by the press dispatches be cor
rect, work a great hardship upon
this portion OF the country, there can
he no doubt. This seems 10 be the
opindon held by every one who has
kept abeast of the matter
Senator Charles Kendricll, when
approached by an Ardmoreite report
er upon the subject this morning,
said that he hoped that there was
some mistake in the matter. "rhe
Atoka treaty this gentleman said,
provided that the land of the Indian
should remain non-taXable for pc
riod of twenty-one years from the
date of said treaty. This was done
because the Indian was not familiar
with the white mans mode of living
and the government, looking on him
in the light of a ward, felt that he
should have the benefits of every
thing that it was in the power of the
government to give. Thinkink that
he would famiiarize himself with
the changed conditions that were
bound to come with the ultimate
coming of statehood, his lands We're
exempted from taxation for the Pc
riod OF twenty-one years, or so long
as he held the title to them. Tina.
there was no intention to entail this
allotted shall be non-taXable as long
subsequent owners--those purchasi:ig
from the Indian owner-was intended
is borne out by the words of the
treaty itself. The treaty of 1888
specifically sets forth that all lands
allotted shall be non-taXabie as long
as the title remains in the \igina!
allottee.' 1t will work great hard
ship upon this portion Of the state
and will have the effect of increas
Ing the taxes upon personal property
which are even now almost up to TIE
limit. No real estate except towasItc
property and that acquired by and
known as death claims, will be taxa
BILE Congress will have to adCi
some measure and enact some lcei;-
lation that will relieve the SITUATION
II there has been no mistake made
in the sending out of the news TO tle
press-and | fear that there has
not-then it will be up to congress
to take immediate action and on.
act some measure that will oNor
this case"
Fred V. Kinkade. United States
commissioner, said that he did not
think that the matter was so serious
as many seemed to think. eve y
cloud has its silver lining" the gen
tleman said, and while it will have
the effect of increasing The taxation
on personal holdings, it will also
have the effect of bringing more peo-
people, with more personal property
to assess, into the state. When the
farmers of the northern and 9th II
states find that they can own real
estate here and not have to pay taxes
upon it for number of years. they
will flock to this section. 1t will
become the mecca of very many
progressive farmers who are now
paying exorbitant rents on high
priced lands N the older states. With
them will come their horses and their
cattle-their household goods ard
farm machinery thus adding more
to the taxable wealth of the coun-
try than will be taken off by this
decision p.
+. b. McElroy, OF the Oil CiN
Townsite company, SAID that this
opinion comes like a bolt from the