Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-10-31

Inc following IS portion OF Gov
Hauser's report to the Secretary 0
the Interior with respect to Montana
The report in full is yoluminous:
ASSESSMENTS.
From the reports of the Auditor
and Treasurer Of the Territory it ap
pears that the total assessment O
property in the Territory for the year
1854 amounted to &997G. .G0I91, the
same being an increase Of S5,0o0,000
lin round numbers) over the previous
year. 1t should be remembered
that the assessment does not give the
real value of our property, and does
not include our mines, which are
worth a great many millions.
POPULATION
No census Of the population Of the
Territory has been taken since 1880,
at which time it was 80, 157. At pres
ent it can only be estimated by The
total vote cast at the general election
in November, 1884, which, as appears
from the report Of the Auditor and
Treasurer, was 26,969. From the
same official source it appears that at
the preceding general election the
total vote castin 1882 was 23,3IS. The
increase has been greater during the
past two years than at any other pc
rlod, and our population may be fair-
ly estimated at from lO0,000 to 110,-
600.
AGRICULTURE.
The numerous valleys of the Terri
tory are remarkably fertile, with
proper facilities for irrigation, yield
ing large returns in wheat oats, bar
ley, and all kinds Of vegetables un-
surpassed in quality. Owing to the
high price Of labor here, as in all |
mining countries. and the great dis
tance from the markets Of the world, |
our farmers have been unable to COM
pete successfully in foreign markets
with those of Dakota on the east, and |
Washington and Oregon on the west;
consequently nothing more IS attampt-
ed than the supply Of the home q
mand, which is large, owing to the
great number of men employed IN the
mines. In all tl.ose portions of the
Territory, where the necessary care
and attention have been given to the
planting and cultivation of trees, it
has been demonstrated that the hardy |
varieties of fruit Of all kinds can be
successfully raised. Small fruits Of
all kinds succeed everywhere in the
Territory, and the yield is simply
enormous.
INDIAN DEPREDATIONs.
I am advised from reliable sources
that during the past season numerous
depredations have been committed
upon the rights Of stockmen by rov-
ing bands Of Indians, who have been
suffered to leave their reservations
and to roam promiscuously through
region of country where there is alb
solutely no game, and where, to sus
tain life, these Indians have killed
cattle running upon the ranges, and
in several instances have run off the
horses belonging to the cattle men.
This has been carried to such an e1-
tent that the stockmen have become
greatly and justly exasperated. lean
but renew the request, SO frequently
made by my predecessors, that some
such action be taken by your Depart
ment as will result in restraining and
confining these Indians upon their
reservations, which embrace an en-
pire of the fairest and best portion
Of the Territory, and from which the
whites are igidly excluded.
RESERVATIONS.
From statistics furnished by the
United States Surveyor Generals
Afie 4fiee for for Montana i appears that
three Indian reservations IN this Ter
ritory embrace an area of $4,000
square miles, including nearly thirty
million acres of the finest agricultural
and grazing lands to be found On the
continent. I would earnestly urge
upon your Department the necessity
of cutting down these reservations to
a size commensurate with the needs Of
the Indians The greater portion Of
these lands, SO necessary for the use
of actual settlers, is of no use what
ever to the Indians. Since the ex-
tinction of the buffalo there is little
or no game. and but a small portion,
if any, Of these lands is cultivated.
Why not throw the reservations open
for settlement and sale, reserving a
portion for the Indians, to be held by
them in severalty, break up their trl-
bal relations, and reserve q portion Of
the proceeds of the sale Of the lands
for the use and benefit of the Indians
during the period and process Of edu
cation and civilization? Without /
troubling you with details which will