The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-14
THE coLvILLE RESERVATION.
A Deficiency of s3A.so in the Appro-



priation for Opening IT.
WASHINGTON CITY. July l3.-lspecisl- J.
The secretary of the treasury has trans
mitted 70 congress an estimate of deli
cheney Of ss4, 500 in the appropriation for
opening part Of the Colyiile reservation.
which has been submitted by the commits
sioner OF Indian affairs. and concurred IN
By the commissioner OF the general land
Office, as being necessary TO complete the
survey and allotment Of the northern por-
ton Of that reservation. The secretary OF
the interior has approved the estimate and
requests early and favorable action by
congress.
The commissioner OF the general land
Office reports that under the act of July l,
Is92, providing for the opening Of part OF
the Colville reservation. by which the
sum Of s35. 900 was appropriated Tor the
purpose OF making alIotments and selec-
tons IN said act provided, including sur
veys of the lands provided TO be vacated
and restored to the public domain by de-
partmental authorization, three contracts
were awarded for the survey of the neces-
sary standard. reservation. exterior
and township lines in the coded portion,
the total liability being $1,000. These
contracts were approved by the general
land Office May II. 1896, the returns of the
surveys being required to be filed with the
surveyor general June 80. 1893. The COM
missioner further states that the status of
these contracts is shown in the following
telegram from the surveyor general, dated
May 10, 1891:
"Returns under contract 404 will be
transmitted on 7rh; 405, in five weeks; 400.
field notes not in"
The commissioner also states that the
cost OF executing the 'subdiyisionai sur
veys within the ceded portions of the
reservation is estimated at SIS, 800. which.
with the total cost of the preparation of
all OF the plats and field notes in quad
duplicate and examination Of all the work
in the field ga 600 and S., 900 respectively,
will make an aggregate cost of $47. 500.
Deducting the estimated cost OF the exc
cution of the surveys provided for in
the contracts named. $1l, coo, from the
appropriation of $35. 900. an apparent bal
ance remains of $24 600, from which must
be deducted the expense of making the
necessary examination in the field under
the three contracts, estimated at $500.
and the cost of the preparation of field
notes and plats of survey of the standard
reservation and exterior lines, estimated
at $1,000, total IS, 500. thus leaving an
available balance of $40, 500 for subdivis-
ional surveys.
From the estimate of the general land
Office for subdivisional surveys and the ex-
penses incident thereto it appears that the
appropriation of $35. 900 made by the act
above referred to is s27, 900 less than will
be required for that purpose alone, besides
leaving the cost of the allotments'a and
selections wholly unprovided for. The
commissioner requests authority to in
struct the surveyor general to award CON-
tracts TO competent and reliable deputy
surveyors for subdivisional surveys
of such townships within the
coded portions of the reservation
Us may be found on examination by his
office and the surveyor general of the
original transcripts of the field notes of
the survey of the exterior township lines
to be suitable for subsivision, and also to
allow for the execution of said work the
special maximum rates of mileage where
the lines of said subdivision surveys pass
over the lands that are mountainous.
heavily timbered or covered with dense
growth, as allowed by the act of March 3,
1898, for the survey of lands of said char
acter in the state of Washington.
The commissioner of Indian affairs in
letter to the secretary of the interior
states that he has no objection to the plan
proposed by the commissioner of the gen.
eral land office with regard to the sub
divisional surveys, so far as the state of
the appropriation therefor will permit
Ks suggests. however. that it would be
desirable to have all these sub
divisional surveys executed without
unnecessary delay, and that a sufficient
amount for making the allotments
should be provided. He therefore urges,
in view of the deficiency of s27 600 reported
by the commissioner of the general land
Office and of the necessity of having from
5000 to $500 available for making the
allotmenss that congress be asked to APP
propriate s34. 500, in order that the work
may be done promptly. This sum which
congress is asked to appropriate at tie
present time will be reimbursable from the
proceeds of the lands when sold, as pro-