OCR Text |
Show 106 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFUS. Whereas, equality in taxauon for the support of the common schoois 1s essen- Ual in justice to all clasaea, and Whereas, for reasons and considerati,ons heretofore deemed adequate and satlsfnctory to the Federal Government in the allotting of land in the portion of the State of Oklahoma heretofore mown as Indian Territory and the sur-render of the tribal forms of government in the five civilized nations, the Federal Government deemed it wise to withhold certain of the allottee' lands from local or state taxation for varying periods of years, to the extent that the local revenue for permanent school purposes are materially diminished, and Whereas, tbe policy of the Federal Government has been and is to draw upon the Indian funds of the five civilized nations to aid in the education of the allottees of school age, and Whereas, in practically every neighborhood of the former Indian Territory, the school children are of both classen (Indian and white) and Whereas. the school wstem heretofore Drevailina in the Dortion of the State hown as ~klahoma ~irritory, was by h e provisions of the statehood bill, made operative throughout the entire State, and whereas, it would be impractical as well as contrary to the school laws of Oklahoma Territory (now the law of the State of Oklahoma) not to apply said laws in the plan of districting, taxation, etc., to the entire State, to the end that uniformity of public school system may be attained, And whereaa, the former Indian Territory area has been districted by the authorities of the State of Oklahoma into public school districts; Therefore a6 tt resohed. That so long. a a Indian funds and public money of the Federal Government is appropriated to the maintenance of public schools in the former Eve civilized nations (outside of incorporated towns) that: 1. The State, in order to secure uniformity in granting certificates, ahall pro-vide for the addition to its state board of education of one member, to be nom-inated by the Secretary of the Interior. 2. That three members of the state board of examiners, examining appli-cants and granting certificates to teach common schools, may he nominated by the Secretary of the Interior, or his representative in charge of the common school interests of the Five Civilhed Tribes. 3. That upon each hoard of countg examiners in each of said counties in the former flve civilized nations, one member of the hoard of counts examiners, examining applicants and granting teachers' certlflcates, shall be appointed by said common school representative of the Interior Department. 4. Under the authoriv of the proper school ol3icers of the State of Oklahoma, schools for the joint and equal attendance of the Indian allottees and white children in the same school shall be opened and maintained each year until the district tax levy and the per capita apportionment of state funds is exhausted; whereupon the-snwrinteident iepre&nting the Interior Department shall take supervision and conduct said school by the expenditure of the allotment from the Indian fund, and from the government fund, appropriated from year to year, so as to provide if possible, at least eight months school in each year in every district, retaining the same teacher if satisfactory. Under this agreement, out of the $300,000 gratuity available for the next fiscal year many schools can be maintained which otherwise would have only very short and irregular terms. The annual summer normals were held during the month of June, and one of the encouraging featurea noted waq the increase in the interest of the teachers in agricultural instruction. |