Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-02-07
Oklahoma Entitled to 100000
Acres or Equivalent From
Federal Government.
OWNED BY ACT PASSED 1862
Representatives in Congress
Begin Movement to Secure
Outstanding Grant.
by OMER *. BENEDICT
(World's staff CorrcspondenO

WASHINGTON. Feb. 6.-The eight
members OF the Oklahoma delegation
have prepared and signed a statement
of facts In support of house bill No.
1876. granting to Oklahoma 10000
acres of land or its equivalent I'm
money for each senator and reprosen-
thtlVe at the time of statehood, 20
which the state is entitled under the
act OF July ?. 1862, and II later act In
1866, providing:
That there be granted to tho
several states, for lhe purpose
Hereinafter mentioned. an amount
CT public land TO be apportioned
TO each state. n quantity equal to
10000 acres for each senator and
representative in congress- etc.
Seven Delegates at statehood.
Oklahoma being admitted TO the
union with two senators and five rep
resontatlves. the state, under the act,
would be entitled to 10000 acres or
land or It's equivalent.
The statement shows that the state
contains 44,S19,2O0 acres, of which
there WIS at the time Of statehood
27,G27,SG7 acres % Indian lands not
subject to taxation and 1000, 900 acres
held by homesteaders exempt from
taxation leaving only 1O.19l, 1873
acres upon which the state collected
tdNcS 1T lVUt.
Otlicr states Allowed Grants.
Three years after statehood the
joint legislature of oklahoma accept
ed the terms of the acts Of !SC2 and
1866. by Joint resolution. and applied
to the secretary OF the interior for the
number Of acres Of land TO which the
state was entitled.
Fourteen states have been admitted
to the union since the act and all Of
these with the exception of Oklahoma
have received the benefits of these
acts. or received land in lieu Of tho
same, or were specially exempted by
receiving other land az public
grant. The following are the states
Those Given land.
West Virginia 10000 (scripD, Ne
Nada 10000 Nebraska 80 900, Colo
iado 10000. North Dakota 10000,
Montana 10000. Washington 10000.
South Dakota 10000, Idaho 10000,
wy oming 10000, Utah (receivod lands
in lieu specially eXempted) 100000,
Arizona especial grant with !imita-
tions). New Mexico Especial grants
with limitations).
Oklahoma received land grant In
lieu Of internal improvements and
swamp act grant, but none in lieu of
act of 1862.
Colorado Case Similar
Colorado furnishes almost an iden-
| teal parallel for Oklahoma. That
state was admitted to the union in
| 1875, and nine years later congress
PASSED an act granting TO the state
| 10000 acres for each representative
! and senator. rhe department Of the
| interior in referring to the case OF
Colorado supported the contention of
the state Of oklahoma in that no ref
erence was made TO the grant Of 1862
in its enabling act, and not receiving
tho land in lieu thereof, or being ex-
empted from the grant, tho state IS
entitled to the same.
The bill has been carefully conSid-
cred by n special committee when a
| public hearing was held, later on ii
received the unanimous favorable re-
| pert from the public lands committee,
of which Scott Ferris is chairman.
No Action This Session.
The Oklahoma delegation asks that
the state of oklahoma be given the
same consideration as the other thir-
teen states admitted since 1862.
AS the bill will have to be brought
Lr by unanimous consent, Il IS hardly
likely that anything favorable will be
done in the present session, but even
tually oklahoma will get the grant is
the opinion of all members from Ok
! lahoma.