Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-01-05
TELEGRAPHIC.
Sheridan's Views on In
dian Lands.
SOME GOOD SUGGESTIONS.
A Plan to Avoid Indian Appropria.
tions and Make the Nations
Wards self-supporting.

speefal % the Herald uns Assoefdted Press.
WAsHIsoToN, January 4.-In regard
TO the request for additional information
explanatory OF the recommendation of
his last annual report in regard to the
Indian question, aforementioned
Sheridan has written the following
statement: In my annual report for
1885, recommended that each Indian
family be given and located upon the
800 acres Of land now provided for them
by law, IN case OF actual settlement.
That the government then condemn the
remainder OF each reservation and buy
il in at the rate of rs per acre, and
with the proceeds purchase government
bonds, to be held in trast by the Indian
Department, giving the Indians each
year the interest on the bonds tor their
support. He cited as an illustration OF
what would be the practical workings
of this suggestion the case OF the Crows,
Cheyennes, Arapahoes and Utes. He
also made the further statement that in
New Mexico the Nayajoes, on the reser-
vation Of the same name, now have over
eight million acres for population Of
"a, 600 people. Here the surplus land
would Yield over $3.50, 600 per year.
For the surplus lands OF the Mescalero
Apache reservation the income would
be nearly $40, 1000. In Arizona the prin-
cipal reservation is the White Mountain
with the agency at San Carlos. 1t en-
braces more than 2, 500 900 acres. Con-
siderable uncertainty exists as to its
population, but probably it is about
| three thousand in the vicinity OF the
agency. and 1000 more who have re-
moved to the northern part OF the
agency, and are now engaged in farming
and in efforts to make themselves self
supporting. The latter would, how
ever, be entitled to all benefits obtained
by agency Indians in any scheme look.
| ing 10 the promotion OF their general
prosperity. Carrying out the proposals
| of my report it would leave balance OF
considerably over Q, 900, 900 acres worth,
according to the plan advocated, about
| Sll0. 600 per year. Considering collect
| lively the Indians of New Mexico and
| Arizona, we have reservations embrac-
| ing 10, 500, 900 acres inhabited by nearly
$4,000 people. The surplus land would
| include about i3,750.000 acres, which
would yield, according to the plan pro
posed, nearly 5000. 600, sum greater by
$3.50, 900 than that appropriated this cur
rent year for the support OF these In
dians. The Indian reservations OF the
United States contain about 200,
600 square miles. the population oil
which is abont 100000. The square
miles would locate each family upon Q
half section OF land, leaving surplus o.
about 10000 square miles, which, nc
cording TO the plan ! have proposed
should produce annually 4.400, O0o
This amount exceeds by $500. 600 thu
entire sums appropriated for the pay
ment of Indian annuities and for theii
subsistence and civilization. The polio,
advocated in my report would be mos
advantageously applied gradually, thu
general government of the Indians be
Ing continued according to methods nov
in vogue or such improvement on then
as time and experience may suggest
The ultimate development OF the sug
gested policy would, as the Indians ad
vance in civilization and intelligence
result in the return to them OF the prin
eipal derived from the sale OF thei
lands, which until such measures wer
authorized by act of Congress would b.
held in trust for their benefit and th
income applied to their support.