bid for a single quarter section being $7,000. The total amount received from sale of these lands approximated $5,000,000, which was added to the funds set aside for the benefit of the Indian tribes who formerly owned the lands.

The Government laid off five town sites in the Big Pasture and one in the pasture in Kiowa County, these towns being named "Randlett," "Escheti," "Quanah," "Isadore," "Ahpehatone," and "Koonkazachey." The majority of the lots in each of these town sites were sold to the highest bidders for the benefit of the Indian tribes. One business lot in Randlett sold for $1,120; the highest lot in Escheti sold for $660, and large numbers of business lots sold from $200 to $250 in each of the town sites. The residence lots in Randlett and Escheti sold at an average of from $35 to $40; in the other town sites at about $20.

The persons purchasing the farms in these pastures were required under the law to pay one-fifth cash, to take up their residence on the land within six months, and to remain there five years, paying the balance of the amount bid in five annual payments.

In the seven months which have transpired since the opening of these lands a wonderful change has taken place. The settlers have taken up their residence on the farms and in the towns, and where seven months ago there was nothing but the waving grasses of the prairie and a few scattered herds of cattle there are now comfortable homes, farms planted to crops, and growing towns. Many fine homes, costing from $1,500 to $2,000, are already to be found on the farms, and it is estimated that the cotton crop of the Big Pasture for the present year will reach 25,000 bales.

PENITENTIARY.

The convicts of Oklahoma are cared for in the Kansas penitentiary under contract, the Territory having no penitentiary. The prisoners are employed in various occupations--some in the coal mine, others in the overall, furniture, and binding twine factory, and a number on the prison farm. The Territory pays 40 cents per day for each prisoner to the Kansas authorities, the total expense of keeping these prisoners for the year ending June 30, 1907, being $57,869.20. The following figures are taken from the annual report of the warden of the penitentiary:

REFORM SCHOOL.

Oklahoma is without a reformatory institution of any kind, the courts being often compelled to sentence mere boys to the penitentiary, where they must consort with hardened criminals. This is a crime against humanity and justice and a condition which should no longer be permitted to exist.

The legislature in 1905 appropriated $5,000 for the carrying out of the provisions of an act authorizing the governor to enter into a contract with responsible persons within the Territory for the safe-keeping, care, and education of youthful prisoners and incorrigibles, but the amount was so small that it has been impossible to get any person to establish an institution. Acting under the general authority granted the governor to contract for the care of prisoners, I have endeavored to make a contract with the State of Kansas under which the 50 or more boys from Oklahoma in the Kansas penitentiary shall be transferred to the State reformatory. Negotiations are now in progress looking toward that end, and there is a prospect that a contract will be made at an early date that will result in the removal of these unfortunate youths from their demoralizing and contaminating environment.

CARE OF THE INSANE.

Oklahoma having no insane asylum, pays to the Oklahoma Sanitarium Company, which has a large private asylum at Norman, Okla., the sum of $200 each per annum for the care and maintenance of the insane of the Territory. On June 30 there were in the asylum 589 patients, an increase of 73 during the year. The total amount paid for the care of these unfortunates during the year was $104,031.91.

The present in lications are that Oklahoma will soon be caring for its insane in a Territorial asylum at a greatly decreased expense. That portion of the Fort Supply Military Reservation remaining under the control of the Federal Government and embracing 1,760 acres of land and all the buildings, waterworks, and sewerage system of the old fort were, by act of Congress of February 8, 1899, granted to the Territory for use as an asylum for the insane.

No further action was taken on the matter until 1903, when the seventh legislative assembly accepted the grant and provided that the asylum should be located at Fort Supply as soon as a railway, either steam or electric, should be in operation to that place, the fort being located in Woodward County, in the northwestern portion of the Territory, 20 miles from a railway. The eighth legislative assembly, which met two years later, repealed this act and appropriated $25,000 to repair and fit up the buildings and remove the insane patients to the new hospital. The Oklahoma Sanitarium Company, which had the contract for caring for the insane of the Territory, brought suit to enjoin the officers of the Territory from carrying out the provisions of this act of the assembly on the ground that it was in violation of the act of Congress which prohibited the legislature from locating any public institutions. The district court granted the restraining order, but while the case was pending on appeal in the supreme court of the Territory the past year Congress approved and ratified the action of the legislature.

The board of trustees for the asylum soon after took action toward carrying out the provisions of the act of the legislative assembly. After a careful inspection of all the buildings and a consideration of all of the needs of the new institution plans were adopted and at present bids are being advertised for.

The work of renovation and repair will be pushed as rapidly as possible and the patients moved as soon as quarters are ready for them.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

The Territory has no public Territorial buildings except those of its magnificent educational structures. A capitol building, penitentiary, insane asylum, reform school, and deaf and dumb school are urgently needed, but owing to action of Congress prohibiting their erection no action has been possible toward locating or erecting them. Sections 33 in a majority of the townships of the Territory, aggregating 315,065 acres, valued at $4,000,000, have been reserved for public buildings for the State. These lands have been leased by the Territory, and there is now in the hands of the Territorial treasurer the sum of $533,183.59, which has accumulated from the rentals.

PUBLIC HEALTH.

The public health of the Territory is well looked after. There have been no serious epidemics of any character during the year, and the laws have been strictly enforced by the board of health, board of pharmacy, board of osteopathy, and the dental examiners. The number of licenses issued and in force in the Territory at this time by these boards is as follows: Physicians of the various schools of medicine, 3,062; osteopaths, 94; dentists, 478; pharmacists, 769.

TERRITORIAL MILITIA.

The Oklahoma militia includes 11 companies of infantry, a regimental band, hospital, engineer corps, and a machine-gun platoon. The personnel of the guard is of the very best, the equipment good, and the discipline and proficiency in drill excellent. The very best young men of the Territory are identifying themselves with the militia, and should the nation call for men at any time Oklahoma would respond with citizen soldiery who would rank well with those of any State.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

The constitutional convention provided for in the Statehood enabling act assembled in Guthrie on November 20, 1906, but instead of completing its labors in sixty days, as contemplated by the enabling act, it remained in session until March 5, 1907, when it took a recess until April 16, at which time it again assembled, and after making a number of changes the members signed the document and the convention again adjourned until July 5, the day before the date fixed for the election at which the people were to vote on the constitution and for State officers.

After the adjournment of the convention in April, no original copy of the constitution was filed with the secretary of the Territory, as required by the enabling act, and because of this fact and of the

further fact that it was contended that the convention exceeded its authority in dividing the present counties of Oklahoma Territory, whose boundaries had been created by acts of Congress, Judge Pancoast, sitting as judge of the district court at Alva, upon the application of citizens of Woods County, granted a restraining order, enjoining the governor of the Territory from issuing a proclamation calling an election. This injunction was dissolved by the supreme court of the Territory on June 25, and immediately thereafter a call was issued for the reconvening of the convention, on July 10, 1907, to fix another date for the election and take such further action as was deemed necessary.

Very respectfully,

The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.

FRANK FRANTZ,

Governor.

SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, Guthrie, Okla., November 16, 1907.

SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith a supplemental report of the condition of affairs and the transaction of public business within the Territory of Oklahoma from the date of the closing of my annual report on June 30, 1907, to November 16, the date upon which the Territory of Oklahoma passes out of existence by the issuance of the proclamation of the President of the United States admitting the State of Oklahoma into the Union.

GENERAL PROGRESS.

During this period of four and one-half months the public business of the Territory has been transacted in a satisfactory manner. The reports of the heads of the various departments submitted to me from time to time show about the usual amount and condition of business in each department.

In the public schools of the Territory there has been everywhere an increased enrollment. The seven higher educational institutions conducted by the Territory have opened their present year with increased attendance and promising prospects.

The public finances of the Territory are in excellent condition, the receipts exceeding the expenditures considerably during the period covered by this report.

The Board of Agriculture reports its work to be in a very encouraging condition. It is conducting largely attended and interesting farmers' institutes in every county and is carrying on a large amount of educational work.

The wheat crop was the smallest that the Territory has harvested for several years and, owing to continued dry weather during the season for plowing and seeding, the acreage will be greatly reduced for the next year. This will have the effect of inducing the farmers to diversify their crops more thoroughly, which will be an advantage to every community. The corn crop will be about 10 per cent short owing to the dry season of the summer. The cotton crop will not exceed two-thirds of that of last year, but the product is of an excellent quality. The good prices prevailing for all crops will enable the farmers to net nearly as much as they have been doing on larger crops at lower prices.

Owing to the short wheat crop and the lateness of cotton the rentals on school lands are not being paid as promptly as for several years

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