Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-14
TIMBER CUTTING CONTRACTS.
Indian Commissioner Oberly Before Sem
ator Chandler's Special Committee.

Indian Commissioner Oberly was before Sem
ator Chambers special committee on Indian
traders to-day and submitted the correspon-
dence relating to the timber-cutting contracts
IN the La Pointe agency. He showed, as has
already been stated, that on the 18th of March
last 73l such contracts had been sus-
pended by order of the commissioner,
on the ground that they were not in
correct form and had not been approved by the
department. On Jan. 20, this year, operations
under 500 of them were ordered resumed by
the commissioner under
INSTRUCTIONS FROM SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
Villas.
These instructions were contained in a letter
written to Commissioner Oberly on the 29th of
January, in response to one from the commits
soner of the 26th. which does not appear in
the correspondence submitted. In that letter
Secretary Villas suggests that in view of the
immense danger of loss to contractor
and Indians by delay at that season and because
OF the large expenditure to which the con-
tractor had gone In preparing to carry on his
work, and because work had been done under
contracts not yet approved in accordance with
the established custom, the commissioner ap-
prove such contracts as had been made with
the owners of allotments approved by the
PRESIDENT. The commissioner could, the
Secretary wrote, satisfy himself as to
the justice Of the price named in the
contracts, by sending special agent to
investigate, but, he suggested, the Indians usu-
ally looked after their interests pretty closely.
and the price and value of the timber varied
greatly. AS to removing Agent Gregory (Which
the commissioner had evidently recommended)
Secretary Villas wrote that he (Mr. Gregory
had several times asked to be relieved, but I'M
I'll the nomination of his successor, who was
believed to be competent to discharge the
duties, was confirmed by the Senate,
there would be no change made in the agency.
Commissioner Oberly's reply to this letter is
also missing from the correspondence.
THE CORRESPONDENCE FURNISHED SHOWS
that repeated complaints were received at the
Indian Office of cutting off timber in violation
of orders to stop it, and that the
INDIANS WERE THREATENED WITH VIOLENCE
for trying to prevent the loggers from carrying
off the timber. Agent Gregory's replies to
Commissioner Oberly's communications were
very unsatisfactory to that official,
and, finally, the commissioner telegraphed him
that your evasive replies to kilograms have
convinced me that you have, to say the least,
been very derelict in regard to this matter"
In one of his replies the agent said, in eff
feet, that he presumed cutting was still going
were 80 far apart he could not reach some of
them for ten days. Before the committee last
year, Mr.. Gregory testified that he could reach
any point in the agency within twelve hours.
On February Commissioner Oberly recon-
mended to Secretary Villas that Clerk Alien. in
the commissioners office, be detailed to visit
the agency and investigate the condition of
things, but the correspondence does not dis
close any action on the recommendation.
COMMISSIONER oBERLY WAS QUESTIONED
by Senator Blackburn, who asked him if he
thought it good administration to suspend the
timber cutting contracts last March.
Il do" responded Mr.. Oberly, because it
was for the best interests of the Indians"
Later he was asked if he approved the order
to resume operations under them, and again
replied in the affirmative. He explained that
much timber having been cut by contractors
who believed they were entitled to do SO, to
prevent them from hauling it off, would occa-
sion loss to both contractor and Indian.
The examination of the commissioner was
concluded with the hearing to-day, and Sena-
tor Chandler will now begin the preparation of
his report